And Everything You Need to Know About R-Values
How to Choose Garage Doors that Minimize Heat Loss
Without the right type of door, your garage can be a big source of heat loss. An understanding of insulation and R-value helps explain how garage doors impact the overall energy efficiency of your home.
What is R-Value?
R-value is a measurement of the thermal resistance of a material. The higher the value, the better the material is at resisting heat transfer. The R-value of an insulated garage door tells you how much heat it will keep inside your home.
U-factor is the opposite measurement of R-value and indicates how well a material conducts heat. Knowing both of these numbers when shopping for garage doors can be useful, but R-value is usually the figure given by manufacturers.
Where Energy Goes
Air leakage is the major source of energy loss in your garage. If you don’t have an insulated door, heat flows out from your house, through the garage and into the environment. Even doors with a high R-value can let out a lot of heat if they’re not sealed properly when closed. This causes your furnace to work harder and use more energy to maintain a consistent indoor temperature.
A well-insulated garage door also won’t do you much good if the wall between the garage and the house doesn’t have insulation. The garage may not lose heat, but it will continue to flow out of the house, leaving interior rooms uncomfortably chilly. A poor seal around the connecting door that leads to the garage will let even more heat out.
Conserve Energy With the Right Garage Door
Upgrading to a garage door with a high R-value can slash energy bills by as much as 30 percent. Ask the manufacturer for an R-value of the door as a whole to make sure that you get an accurate measurement. Some companies only measure at the center of the door, and this can result in an artificially high reading. Once you find a door you like, have it installed by a knowledgeable professional who can maximize its energy-saving potential.
If you suspect that your garage door is the cause of your high energy bills, get in touch with the Overhead Door Company of Portland. Our Thermacore doors use a combination of metal and foam to insulate your home against heat loss and maintain a stable temperature inside the garage. Other insulated models are available to match the style of your home. Visit our website today to learn more about our offerings or stop by our showroom and see our garage door collections in person. Choose your favorite design and start enjoying a warmer, more comfortable home.
