Triple-layer doors, which use polyurethane insulation, provide the highest level of energy efficiency. Polyurethane is a liquid foam insulator that expands as it is injected, filling all the gaps in the door construction. It has twice the R value per inch than traditional types of insulation. Garage doors are an essential part of optimizing your home to be green and energy efficient.
A well-insulated garage door can help keep the temperature inside the house stable. Your garage door can also help you save on your electricity and heating bills and reduce energy waste, while helping the environment. Opt for a garage door insulated with polyurethane foam: it's the best insulator on the market today. Built with high-strength, low-maintenance steel, Amarr garage doors are incredibly resilient and energy efficient.
Most models offer double or triple layer steel and insulation, all made with vinyl-coated polystyrene. Its innovative designs are made with three sections instead of the standard four, giving your garage door a much more authentic look and feel of a carriage. Put simply, an energy efficient garage door is one that is insulated and has several layers. If the garage door has windows, they must also be properly waterproofed.
Garage doors can be one, two, or even three-layer, so the more layers, the more insulation the door will have. These doors can also be just as durable as their counterparts, but it's important to remember that the material your garage door is made of is important. The lesson is that if you want to turn your garage door into a steel sandwich door, which is usually stronger and quieter, do it for that reason and not because of the high fictitious R factor promised by a manufacturer. I recently bought new windows for my bedroom, and knowing what type and applying for the energy tax credit was very simple.
In addition to the impressive insulation options, several of its models also allow you to add a waterproof gasket, which prevents drafts and dirt from entering (or leaving) the garage. The R values advertised by garage door manufacturers are measured in the center of one of the door panels. In snowy or rainy weather, a separate garage can be connected to the house with a narrow, unconditioned passage. Energy-efficient garage doors can last as long as regular garage doors and, sometimes, even more so.
Beyond the design and “curb appeal” associated with a new garage door, the material plays an important role in its overall energy efficiency. The FTC has decided to let the garage door industry pass these hype, presumably because the FTC lacks the resources to pay attention to all the R-value exaggerations and because garage doors don't meet the legal definition of insulation in the Federal R-Value Rule, and the garage door industry doesn't have the courage to come together (as the window industry did) to accept labels similar to those of the NFC. My garage will have heating, most likely a concrete slab with hydronic underfloor heating, ICF walls, in Talkeetna, AK. However, if you find a cheaper garage door that is made of inexpensive materials, the R value could be something like 4.3.
