Only a minimal amount of insulation is required for your garage door in order for you to reduce the costs of your monthly bills. While the majority of garage doors are joined on to the main living quarters of modern homes, the convenience of having a garage attached can often be offset by the challenge of trying to minimize the effect that the garage temperature has on the temperature of the living quarters. Providing your garage door with the insulation it requires will aid in preventing the fluctuations in temperature that accompany both harsher wintery weather and hot summers.

Insulating a garage door is a fairly easy process. If the garage door is not insulated at all then one simple solution is to install foam panels on the inside of the door. Foam panels are simple to work with – they can be cut to size with a cutting tool – and they can be purchased at almost any home improvement store in your locality. Fasteners or adhesives will be required for permanent foam panel placement.

A basic insulation kit containing both foam panels and adhesive materials can be purchased for around $100. These kits have the added benefit of containing instructions. While you may not initially be willing to part with $100 for an insulation kit, remember that you will begin to make savings and recoup that investment as soon as your insulation has been installed.

While the task of insulating your garage may seem like a large one, do not be overwhelmed! It is actually a simple task! Furthermore, you will reap the benefits of making your property more energy efficient. A little money and time spent on garage door insulation will ensure that your home is more comfortable but cost effective for you to reside in.

Although no longer the outright best seller of former years, wooden garage doors have long been among the most popular types of garage door available. Even these days, with modern materials technology, many if not most people think wood garage doors are better for a number of reasons; style, quality and durability to name a few. But it has to be said, there are some areas where wood garage doors don’t stack up so well against the competition any more.

So let’s introduce a little history to set the scene. Prior to the early 1980’s the de-facto standard material for just about all domestic garage doors was wood. The design and manufacture was essentially derived from earlier coach or carriage house (and even barn) doors and given the simplicity and aesthetic appeal of the product there seemed little reason to change.

Even though more modern materials such as steel, aluminum and vinyl were being used to make garage door panels even back then, mostly they were regarded as niche products aimed at commercial rather than residential applications. A significant reason for the lack of interest from the domestic market was simply aesthetics – the new doors just didn’t look anywhere near as stylish and people quite understandably were concerned about the obvious correlation between garage doors and property value.

When a single item can easily account for over one fifth of the immediate visual aspect of a house it’s important to make sure it looks smart and wooden garage door panels certainly achieve that, especially if they are stained or painted to match the wood trim on the rest of the house (doors, window frames, soffits, fascias etc). In fact, it was interesting to note that as metal and vinyl door panels started to gain a foothold they were often made with a fake wood grain effect – imitation being the sincerest form of flattery.

Aside from having a visually appealing natural texture and the flexibility to take an almost limitless number of colors and finishes, wood door panels possess certain other key characteristics worthy of consideration.

The first and (for many people these days) most immediate characteristic where wooden doors are concerned is their cost. Comparing basic entry level wood and steel doors of equivalent size and quality, the price differential for the wooden version averages out at some twenty percent higher. When you start to move up the scale and account for thicker gauge steel and integral insulation then things can move around, but even so you tend to find that on a like for like basis, the equivalent wooden garage door will invariably cost more than its metal counterpart.

Second is the issue of longevity – how long the door will last – which again is not as straightforward as you might expect. Wood, being a natural material, is subject to a process of degeneration over time. It can both rot and warp out of shape, either of which will render the door panel unviable. The extent to which it will do so of course depends on three main factors: how well constructed it was in the first place, the environment it has to cope with, and how well it is maintained,

Steel doors don’t warp or rot as such, but they are easily dented or buckled and they can rust; and none of these conditions is easily treated or masked with a coat of paint (as is typically the case with wood). Vinyl door panels can shatter if hit hard and will eventually degrade and become brittle due to exposure to sunlight (specifically ultra violet).

Which type of garage door “lasts longer” is therefore not an easy question to answer. It depends on a variety of factors that include the material used, the build quality and environmental and operational conditions. It also depends on what is meant by “lasts”. A badly rusted and dented steel door may in fact operate perfectly well but still get replaced long before a wooden door might, simply because most folk cannot stand to look at an ugly garage door (even if it is still functionally ok). The useful lifespan of a wooden garage door is also to a large extent determined by how well its owner looks after it, rather than any fixed duration.

The third feature regarding wooden door panels is weight. There is no question that wood panels are significantly thicker and heavier than either metal of vinyl (it’s also the main reason why these alternative materials first started to appear in commercial applications that required very large garage doors). This is not necessarily either a good or bad thing, it’s simply a fact, but there’s no doubt that the chunkier appearance of wooden door panels looks nicer and exudes an air of quality.

Also, the concept of “secure garage doors” is something of an oxymoron when looking at most standard metal doors, but wooden doors are intrinsically more robust. Wood is also a naturally effective insulator and outperforms all man-made materials used for garage door panels, though once again it’s not quite so simple, since it is quite simple to fit garage door insulation to any metal door (either pre-installed or using a DIY kit) and immediately turn the tables. And the reason you can’t so easily do the same with a wooden panel? It’s already too thick and heavy to take another layer of insulating foam.

So that’s a short and hopefully informative introduction to the subject of wooden garage doors and their enduring popularity. If you’re actively looking to make a purchase then why not check out this guide to buying a garage door for more tips and ideas.

Of course, there’s also always the option of consigning your garage to a more useful purpose in life (how about using your garage as a gun safe or a games room, or a gym or anything really other than a place to park a car)? Then simply sort the car out with a carport (and in keeping with my own prejudices I’m specifically suggesting that you consider one of the many excellent wood carport kits currently available because, well frankly wood carports look great and other types look for the most part outright plain and utilitarian and that’s not what I want stood next to my house).

Now, I don’t mean to rain on his parade, but over the years, I’ve heard my share of lectures on how my garage is full of bunk storage and he could really help me fix this by installing a custom garage storage system. He’s a friend, so he’d even do it at cost.

But the truth is – well, it’s not necessary. Let me explain.

The Things You Own, End Up Owning You…

Isn’t it funny how the more you own, the more you need to buy to manage the things you own? At the same time, you also get to devote more mental energy towards organizing these things and deciding what to do with them. Does this make sense? Why do we do this to ourselves?

Yes, I have a garage. And yes, I have some things in there. But my goal isn’t to have one of these utopian garage storage systems. It’s to own only what I need!

Jonas would say he always tells customers first to get rid of everything that’s taking up space in their garage, but, the truth is, if we all did that, most of the companies making stuff designed as “garage storage tools” wouldn’t be needed anymore. Our trash is their treasure, in a round about way.

What’s In My Garage

My garage at the moment is fairly simple. I’ve got a bike. With it, there’s a garage storage bike rack. Makes sense, right! I’ve also got a DIY screen printing set up, and for this, there’s a desk and a cabinet for all my things. Other than that, I’ve got a couch and a bookshelf with a bunch of old punk rock zines and magazines. That’s it. Nothing mounted to my ceiling, nothing installed coming out of the wall, no cabinets with fancy locking mechanisms to hide some scary hazardous chemicals I wouldn’t want in here any way (and which would offer less protection than securing your garage doors in the first place). Also, nothing that might need protection from the elements which of course then gets us on to the topic of garage door insulation kits.

Keeping life simple is usually a lot easier than trying to simplify a mountain of consumerist toys that you only own because Mother Culture promotes the idea of ownership.

For me, I’ll keep my couch, my bike rack, my book shelf, my cabinet, and you can keep your garage storage systems, thank you!

There is no doubt that integral garages can significantly affect the temperature of rooms adjacent to and above the garage area. The garage door itself can represent the largest single source of heat loss in your home and this all mounts up in terms of additional heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.

Just as your garage doors are the largest, most visible, yet most frequently overlooked aspect of your property, so the garage space itself is almost certainly the largest un-insulated space in your home. Like many so-called “green” initiatives, insulating this large space helps conserve energy which is not only environmentally beneficial but also translates directly into saving quite a bit of money (as well as making your house more comfortable to live in).

If you live somewhere that is not susceptible to extreme climatic conditions then a wooden garage door provides much better intrinsic insulating properties than a steel door since wood is a very good natural insulator. However, extreme weather and large temperature fluctuations can mean that because wood garage doors are already quite heavy they are effectively impractical when it comes to adding heavy duty insulation. In these situations a well insulated metal door may be the better option (there are many considerations to weigh up in the debate over steel vs. wood garage doors).

There are several methods of garage door insulation that you can use. One of the best ways of providing good garage door insulation is to check with the door’s manufacturer. Some garage door companies sell kits that are designed to work with their doors, which can make insulating the garage door very easy and effective, although the overall price might be a little higher. But if you’re in the market to buy a new garage door rather than upgrade an existing one then it makes a lot of sense to have this option pre-installed for you.

An off-the-shelf insulated garage door will look better, last longer and out perform an after-market kit. It is also possible these days to purchase insulated wooden garage doors, combining the quality and good looks of a traditional wood panelled door with a fully insulated metal one. These comprise an outer skin of real wood that has been professionally treated and finished to resist the elements and look great. The inner skin is again real wood, which can be finished in any style you can think of (faux wood panelling, fake interior walls, etc). Sandwiched between these two layers of wood is a thick layer of polystyrene insulation which provides superb insulation (often better than the walls) and also reduces the weight that would otherwise be present in a solid wood door.

Alternatively, you can purchase garage door insulating kits that are not designed specifically for one brand of door, but which work well on most garage doors. These generic insulating kits are often a bit less expensive than those provided directly from the door manufacturer but are still quite effective.

Garage door insulation kits use one of 4 basic materials:

• Fibreglass panels are pre-formed units covered with a protective, washable vinyl finish. They usually come with an integral fastening system and you would typically use about 8 panels for a single door.
• Foam panels are similar but consist of an expanded polystyrene interior with a laminated plastic covering to protect the panel and make it easy to clean. These panels are fitted into the channels of the door frame rails and a typical kit is usually sufficient for a single door.
• Insulating foam (polystyrene) is injected behind a plastic membrane that is fitted flush to the inside of the door; the foam then bonds to the surface of the door which keeps it in place and ensure complete coverage.
• Reflective foil is for solid (i.e. wooden) garage doors that thus don’t have the integral space and cannot take the additional weight of panel inserts. It is a very simple system whereby the foil is cut to shape and simply stuck to the inside of the door. It is generally available in varying degrees of thickness o suit.

You can also purchase your own garage door insulation supplies and do the job yourself without using a kit. There are three main areas on a garage door that benefit from insulation.

• First, you can use foam panels on the inside surfaces of the garage doors to provide extra insulation to the door itself, especially if the doors have glass windows.
• Second, the weather stripping on the sides of the doors needs to be in good condition. If this weather stripping has pulled loose or is in poor condition, this should be replaced to keep cold air from getting in around the edges of the door.
• Third, the garage door should have a compression bubble on the bottom edge that will effectively seal the bottom of the door when it is closed, keeping cold air from getting in. This should be checked, and if it is missing or it has become stiff, brittle or cracked, it should be replaced.

There are pros and cons on both sides, but whichever you type you eventually decide upon, bear in mind that this is a long term decision since both steel and wooden garage doors can last easily a couple of decades or more according to the amount of use or abuse they’re subjected to and how well they are maintained.

Of the two, steel garage doors are more abundantly found in most typical domestic installations, thanks mainly to lower initial purchase cost and wide availability of suppliers, door designs and finishes. On the subject of door finishes, many garage door suppliers offer different warranties according to the selected finish, since some last significantly better than other (as with all things, the decision comes down to higher purchase price versus reduced maintenance costs).

As a rule steel doors are quite a bit lighter than solid wood but are prone to collecting dents and suffering deformities due to twisting and strains imposed by the opener mechanism. As a consequence you are more likely to find your self in need of a competent garage door repair services outfit at some point.

The most commonly found styles for steel garage doors include both raised and flush panel designs and in recent years any number of variations on “carriage style” garage doors, which mimic traditional carriage house doors but in fact are sectioned to roll up vertically. It is not uncommon these days to also find insulation offered as an option for steel garage doors, which not only helps render the garage a more habitable space but provides additional insulation for any walls shared with the house, saving on ongoing heating and/or cooling costs.

After steel, wood is the next most popular material for garage doors. Wood garage doors are on the whole more expensive and whereas a paint finish is optional on other materials, for wood it is mandatory and must be maintained to ensure the doors last properly. The main benefits that wood has over steel are:

• better looking;
• more customisable and hence more versatile;
• better intrinsic insulation properties;
• more robust and able to withstand knocks etc;

The ability to customise wooden garage doors to precisely match existing architectural features is in fact a major attraction for many people.

Wood garage doors, especially solid timber ones, are of course heavier than steel doors. However, there is an alternative that is lightweight, cheaper than solid wood, and environmentally friendly. Composite wood garage doors are manufactured from a tough amalgam of recycled wood and resin that is moulded to shape. The result has many of the benefits of a solid timber door but is considerably lighter – both physically and on the wallet.

Then there are considerations of physical security and insulation i.e. keeping out unwelcome visitors and weather. There is no doubt that “out of the box” wood panelled garage doors win out here; they are inherently more robust, thicker, heavier and provide decent natural insulation. However, if you’re looking for serious garage door security or heavy duty garage door insulation then a steel door might be the better bet.

Because of their basic strength coupled with inherent light weight, there is more scope to add additional reinforcement and insulating panels to a steel door. It also relatively cheap and easy to do as an after thought. This is not to say that you cannot achieve this with a wooden door, just that in general it will be more expensive and you will need to invest in a new wooden door that has already been factory fitted with internal reinforcing steel bolts and insulation.