April 27, 2018

Can garage door construction affect your electric bill?

Can garage door construction affect your electric bill?

For most of us, the primary connection between the garage door and our electric bill is whether the door is left open or not. However, if you’re shopping around for a new garage door, you might be tempted to think that because two doors have the same R-value, or RSI, they offer the same level of protection for your home. That’s sadly not true. Look closely at each door you consider, and if you don’t see thermal breaks and high-quality weatherseals, it could mean that the door will cost you money over the long run.

If it’s time to buy a new garage door, you’ll need to know a few things before you start shopping. Below, we’ll cover some of the specific features that you need to see in a garage door to guarantee that you won’t be surprised by an increase in your electricity bill.

So, if you are considering a new door, you need to know the following details to get an efficient door for your home:

Wooden end blocks

In the realm of garage door construction, section end blocks are used to hold insulation in place. They’re also used to mount the door hinges. Weatherstripping or a glue joint is used to link the inside and outside metal sheets.

For most garage door manufacturers in North America, the construction process relies on cutting sheet metal to about 26 inches in width by however long is needed to manufacture the door. Steel end caps are used to close the ends. That sounds good, but it’s not. It creates thermal bridging – the metal allows heat or cold to transfer into or out of the garage.

At Garaga, they’ve come up with new ways of doing things. First, they rely on advanced injection and manufacturing methods to create each section individually. They also use wooden end blocks, because wood doesn’t transfer heat the way that metal does. This creates a thermal break that prevents outside temperatures from leeching inside.

Door section joints matter

Metal garage doors are made from an interior and exterior piece of metal. To connect those, most companies use metal staples (glued or unglued). However, because these staples are made from metal, they can transmit heat.

Garaga uses another thermal break method that relies on the use of triple‑contact PVC weatherseal to connect the interior and exterior metal sheets. This ensures that there is no metal-to-metal contact, and prevents thermal bridging from occurring.

The door’s exterior

GGaraga also goes the distance when it comes to the exterior weatherstripping used on their garage doors. Most companies use low‑grade PVC for this, but that can lead to problems, like hardening in cold weather. Garaga uses a special PVC material that has an arctic grade status, staying pliable all the way down to -15 degrees F (-25 degrees C).

Weatherstripping and the bottom of the door

As we said, the weatherstripping can be exposed to intense conditions, and if it fails in freezing weather, it allows heat to escape. This is true along the entire perimeter, including the bottom of the garage door. Garaga avoids this by using a TPE (Thermal Plastic Elastomer)-based weatherseal with the ability to remain flexible down to -52°F (-62°C) conditions.

The bottom of the door

Your garage door must also seal at the bottom. Again, cold temperatures can turn cheap weatherstripping hard as a rock, and prevent it from sealing. Garaga uses a thermal plastic elastomer-based weatherseal that actually remains pliable all the way down to -52 degrees F (-62 degrees C).

The bottom of the door

Ultimately, finding the right garage door means that you need to look for more than just a good R-value. You need to compare garage doors based on their weatherstripping, the presence of thermal breaks, and a great deal more. There is no one-size-fits-all solution, and you’ll need to be able to compare your options to make an informed decision.

If you’re stuck and unsure where to turn, we invite you to contact us at any time. Call 724-834-8450 and our knowledgeable experts can help guide you to the right garage door for your home and for your budget. We can also send you a quote by email if you would prefer, or you can just drop by the showroom.

If you want to compare your options, we invite you to use our Design Centre, or you can take a virtual stroll through our image gallery to get a feel for what we have been able to accomplish for other clients.

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