5 Ways to Keep your Garage and Home Warm for the Winter
There are multiple ways to keep your garage and home warmer for the winter.
- Insulate your existing garage door
- Upgrade your garage door
- Seal the gaps
- Space Heater
- Insulate surrounding walls
Insulating your current garage doors can be accomplished by purchasing garage door insulation kits. These kits come in two varieties—solid polystyrene sheets and spun fiberglass. Generally, a utility knife, for cutting the insulation to size and some knowledge of handy-work is all that is needed. Insulating around the door is also necessary for keeping out drafts. Most garage doors are installed with weather stripping; however, it may have been years since the weather stripping has been examined for cracking or aging. Weather stripping should be placed around both sides and the top of the door attached to the framing of your garage door opening. You may also need a new bottom seal—a strip of pliable rubber, vinyl, or foam—to keep the drafts from gusting under the door as well. If this all sounds like too much work, please give Eric or Gary a call to come and evaluate/weatherproof your garage door.
Sometimes the best option is replacing the whole garage door (all weather stripping included). Here at Roayl Garage Door we have a plethora of options for improving the R-value, or measure of thermal efficiency, for your garage and home. The higher the R-value the warmer your garage and home will stay. Below is an amazing chart of all the garage door options Clopay offers and their corresponding R-values. These R-values range from 0 (glass, no insulation) to 20.4 (3 layer, 2” polyurethane Canyon Ridge Collection). These different R-values are attained by a combination of different scenarios. Different Clopay Collections offer either polyurethane or polystyrene insulation from 1 3/8” thick to 2” thick. Some garage doors are also “sandwiched” by two layers of heavy gauge steel, which creates a higher thermal rating than just a metal face. Please give Eric or Gary a call today to schedule your free quote on a new garage door if you think replacement is necessary! J
The door isn’t always the only problem area in a garage. Cold air seeks out any crack or crevice it can find, and most garages have plenty of these. Areas around pipes, electrical sockets, windows, vents, and other openings can all lead to your garage not staying warm this winter. Seal these areas with caulking or expanding foam insulation to keep the warmth in. This will also help come summer time at keeping the cool in!
Next, which I do not suggest, but is an option, is to add a space heater to your garage. These small heaters are not efficient at heating large spaces and only warm the area immediately around them. This is nice to keep next to your desk or work place, but if you are moving around a lot it is not well suited for the situation. To get things heated up in a hurry in your man cave or workshop, a forced air heater (propane or electric) may be a better bet because it uses a fan to push warm air throughout the garage. However, these things all pose fire risks and should only be used if you are in the room and keeping an eye on the heat source.
Lastly, insulating the walls in your garage may be your last option; however, this is not a novice task. Your best bet if you want or need an insulated garage is to hire a contractor. If you do plan to hire someone to take on the task, make sure they aren’t just slapping up some fiberglass insulation in between the studs and adding a layer of drywall. Heated garages are prone to condensation build up, which can cause you problems with rot and mildew down the road. So make sure they have a plan to properly ventilate the garage, allowing a means for moisture to escape, while still keeping you warm.
If you do not know where to begin, please do not hesitate to call Gary about your specific situation! Hopefully this will help at keeping you, your family, and your home warmer this winter!
Royal Garage Door
