How much thought and research have you done regarding your garage door? When many people look at garage doors, they only check to see if they have insulation and that they have a good R-value. However, there is far more to consider. Even when the R-values might seem similar, there are quite a few things that can cause a difference in the energy efficiency of the garage door. For example, if you do not have quality thermal breaks and top-performing weatherseals, you could be wasting money on electricity.
If you are getting ready to buy a new garage door, now is the time to make sure that you understand what you should be looking for if you want to see a real reduction in the cost of your AC and heating.
Choose doors with wood blocks
The section end blocks are added during the manufacturing of a garage door, and they help to keep the insulation in place. In addition, the end blocks will help to make sure that the hinges are properly secured to the ends of the door. The manufacturer should also provide a glue joint and/or weatherstripping. This will provide a link to the metal sheets on the interior and exterior portions.
Many companies choose to use steel sheeting cut to the proper length for the garage door, then end up using steel end caps. However, this is not the most efficient option, as it can cause a problem known as thermal bridging. This allows for heat to move out of or into the garage, which does not provide you with the quality of insulation that you need.
Fortunately, you will find that Garaga does things quite a bit differently. We utilize a different injection and manufacturing method and each of the sections are made individually. In addition, we employ end blocks made from wood. The wood end blocks are a great solution because they will not transfer heat. This turns it into a thermal break, which ensures there is no temperature transfer.
Door section joints
One of the other things to consider is the method used to attach the exterior sheets of steel on the insulation. The usual method is to utilize a metal staple. This could be used with or without glue. Garaga, again, does things differently. We use a triple‑contact PVC weatherseal as the connector for these sheets. This prevents the creation of a thermal bridge.
Bottom of the door weatherstripping
The weatherstripping at the bottom of the door, when made from low quality material, is going to become rigid when the temperatures dip below freezing on some garage doors. Garaga makes sure to utilize a TPE (Thermal Plastic Elastomer)-based weatherseal. This has the capability to stay flexible even when the temperatures dip down to -52 °F (-62 °C)!
Weatherstripping outside of the door
Too many companies make use of low-quality weatherstripping for one reason or another. This doesn’t bode well for your garage door or electricity bill. Garaga always uses quality PVC weatherstripping that is double-lipped and can withstand freezing temperatures with no problem. In fact, it can stay flexible even when the temperature drops to -15 ˚F (-25 °C).
Choose the best door
As you can now see quite clearly, there are many factors that will determine the overall energy efficiency of your door. You need to think about more than just the R‑value of the door, including the end sections, the weatherstripping, and the between sections.
You can contact us toll‑free at 1-800-696-1926. We strive to provide our customers with the information they need to make sure they are getting the very best garage door for their needs. If you would like to have a quote, we can send you a quotation by email.
In addition, you might want to come in and get a better look at the garage doors we offer. Visit our showroom to see what is available. In addition, you can always check out the Design Centre and see what garage doors might look great on your garage, as well as our image gallery.
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