Insulated Garage Doors: How They Cut Energy Loss and Keep Your Garage Comfortable

An insulated garage door is an easy upgrade if your garage serves a purpose beyond parking the car. Insulation will make a difference if you use your garage as a workshop or gym, or if you just want to prevent cold air from coming through a pass-through door into your home. Here is what you should consider before opting for an insulated door made to measure for your home.

Importance of Insulation in Garage

Since the garage door is a big flat panel, one of the least insulated parts of the house is the garage. The heat loss rate of an uninsulated up-and-over garage door is almost identical to the rate of heat loss from an open window. If the garage is attached to the house, it especially affects the rooms that are above the garage or the ones that have an internal door to the hallway or kitchen.

The benefits of insulated garage doors include:

• Less heat is lost through the biggest opening in the building envelope
• The garage will be several degrees warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer
• There will be less condensation and dampness on the inside face of the door
• The overall comfort of the space will increase and will be more usable as a workshop or hobby room
• Furthermore, if the garage happens to be next to a bedroom, the reduced noise transfer from the outside will be an added bonus

Construction of insulated doors

Most insulated garage doors, including up-and-over models and sectional variants, are constructed as “sandwich” panels. Two skins, made of either galvanised steel or aluminium, are metal-bonded to a rigid foam core (usually polyurethane). This construction gives the door its strength and rigidity and its thermal performance. This is also the reason why, when you knock on the door, insulated panels feel sturdier as opposed to a thinner single-skin door.

Things to pay attention to in the specification

The U-value is the most important figure to consider when comparing insulated doors. The smaller the U-value, the better the insulation and the less heat is able to flow through the material. A typical insulated sectional door will have a U-value of approximately 1.0 W/m²K, but a good double-skinned foam-filled panel will have a U-value even better than this. If a door does not have a U-value listed, it is best to contact the supplier, because this typically means the door is single-skin and offers minimal or no thermal efficiency.

Sectional vs Up-and-over: Do They Affect Insulation Differently?

While both sectional and up-and-over doors can have insulated panels, sectional doors usually come out on top for two main reasons. First, because a sectional door glides up and back instead of moving out on a track, greater thicknesses of panels can be used without compromising clearance. Additionally, sectional doors are more likely to have frames that seal tightly on all four sides, while up-and-over doors with a canopy design tend to have small openings at the top and sides that can let cold air in. Therefore, if energy efficiency is the primary concern, a sectional door equipped with a foam-filled panel and good perimeter seals will be the best option.

Importance of Bespoke

An insulated door is only as good as how well it has been fitted. If the door is too small for the door opening or misaligned, it will allow draughts through, regardless of how effective the insulation panel is. This is where a made to measure service comes in. Because instead of modifying a standard door size, both the door and frame are constructed to fit your opening size, which keeps gaps to a minimum and ensures the seals work effectively.

Additional details to consider

• Weatherstripping along the edges and bottom of the door
• Foam core thickness Typically between 20mm and 42mm depending on the manufacturer
• Glazing if you would like windows in the door – double glazing inserts retain the insulation benefit as opposed to losing it
• Colour and finish as some owners prefer darker finishes because they can absorb more heat from direct sunlight, which can be seen as an advantage in warmer climates.

Should you upgrade?

Yes, especially considering the comfort and quietness improvements from the insulated garage door, as well as the construction thickness making it dent and knock resistant. For most households, insulated garage doors make complete sense. Garage doors in general, conditioned spaces, and attached spaces that aren’t used just for parking, are all immediate comfort improvements. If you’re already considering replacing a garage door, then going insulated for only a bit more cost is a no brainer. The door will truly earn its keep summer and winter alike.