Does Garage Door Insulation Really Matter? 

You’re in the market for a new garage door, and you have a big decision to make: insulated, or non-insulated?

Maybe you’ve admired the look of those insulated garage doors, either in a commercial setting or in the home of the friend. But there’s a question you ask yourself: Does insulation really matter in a garage door, or is it all hype?

The answer is straightforward. Yes, an insulated garage door does make a difference, in ways you may not appreciate until you own one. It’s an investment in quality and a real improvement to your home, especially if the garage is attached to the dwelling.

Three Kinds of Garage Doors

The varieties of garage doors available from the major manufacturers fall into three categories:

  • Single layer. This is exactly as it sounds—a garage door fabricated from one layer of steel, and nothing else. The gauge of the steel may be thicker or thinner, but it’s still a single-layer product.
  • Double layer. The door is made from an outer layer of steel with a layer of insulation (often polyurethane) behind it, and backed with a layer of vinyl.
  • Triple layer. This door is a sandwich of steel, insulation (usually polystyrene, the highest quality material) and steel. It’s the most expensive, but highest performing, of all the door varieties.

What an Insulated Door Does for You 

An insulated garage door offers multiple benefits:

  • Durability. A single-layer steel garage door is more vulnerable to rusting, as well as dents from collisions with lawn equipment, kids’ bicycles, even hail. Insulated doors are more rigid and resistant to such assaults.
  • Quiet. Single layer doors may rattle and vibrate their way up and down, and also allow outdoor sounds to travel into your home. Insulated doors operate more quietly and filter noise from the outside world.
  • Thermal comfort. An insulated door blocks heat and cold, and also turns your garage into a sealed airspace that can make your whole home more comfortable. And you may be able to use your garage as a workshop or hobby area in more seasons of the year.
  • Energy efficiency. Heat and cold take the path of least resistance into your home, and an uninsulated garage door will likely have you fiddling with your thermostat. With an insulated door, thermal comfort translates to energy savings. Insulated doors can easily deliver an R-value (thermal resistance value) of 16, closely approximating the R-value of the rest of the home.

The benefits of an insulated garage door make it an investment that enhances and adds value to your home. D Bar Garage Doors is ready to help you select a door that fits your needs and your budget.