Benefits of Garage Door Insulation

For homeowners, garage doors tend to be the primary entrance into the home. With rooms usually surrounding the garage, it's essential to keep the interior temperature as controlled as possible. A well-insulated Wayne Dalton garage door will help regulate your garage temperature by keeping the interior cool in the summer and warm in the winter. While many factors can impact the insulation of your garage, replacing your garage door can be the start to reducing the energy needed to keep your garage at a comfortable temperature. 

Classic Steel Model 8300, one of Wayne Dalton’s best-insulated residential garage doors

Tips to consider when choosing an thermally efficient garage door: 

The Importance of R-Value

Whether you’re in the market for a new Wayne Dalton garage door or simply want to figure out the insulation of your garage door, consider measuring the R-value first. The effectiveness of the insulation is expressed as an R-value*, which is a measure of thermal resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation in the door. Wayne Dalton always includes the R-value on all of our thermally efficient garage doors, to help make your life a little bit easier! 

Classic Steel Model 8500 has the highest level of insulation for our
residential garage doors with an R-value* of 16.22.

Two Types of Insulation 

An insulated garage door can significantly reduce the intrusion of street noise into the home – especially important when there are bedrooms or other living areas above or adjacent to the garage. The type of insulation in your garage door can also make a difference. Many Wayne Dalton garage doors come with one of two types of insulation: polyurethane or polystyrene

Polyurethane foamed-in-place insulation

The same properties that improve thermal efficiency also give polyurethane insulation excellent acoustic properties. Polyurethane is a foam that expands and bonds to surfaces when injected into the cavity. Polyurethane insulation delivers twice the thermal performance of polystyrene insulation of the same thickness! It also adds strength and rigidity to the door panels and helps dampen sound transmission.

Classic Steel Model 8300, one of Wayne Dalton’s best-insulated residential garage doors

Our most popular polyurethane-insulated doors have R-values* ranging from 9 to 16.22. These doors are manufactured with polyurethane foamed-in-place insulation using a patented process. 

The Wayne Dalton garage doors listed below have foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation:

• Carriage House Steel Garage Door Model 9700

• Carriage House Steel Garage Door Model 9405

• Classic Steel Garage Door Model 9100 / 9600

• Classic Steel Garage Door Model 8300 / 8500

• Designer Fiberglass Garage Door Model 9800 (up to 8ft)

• Specialty Vinyl Garage Door Model 8700

Expanded polystyrene insulation

Polystyrene insulation are rigid panels placed inside the door sections when they are manufactured. Polystyrene insulation is usually used in rigid sheets inserted into garage door cavities. 

Polyester Finish - Classic Steel Garage Doors Model 8024

Expanded polystyrene insulation offers thermal efficiency with an R-value* between 3.7 and 7.4.

The garage doors listed below have Expanded polystyrene insulation.

Benefits of Insulated Garage Doors

While you may not think an insulated garage door is a necessity, we are here to assure you that there are a multitude of benefits. Here are just a few of the benefits your insulated garage door can provide you.

• Comfortable environment: With proper insulation, your garage door can help regulate your garage temperature year-round. For example, if you live in a climate where the temperature is hot, this will help keep the interior much cooler.
  
  
• Prevents air leakage: As stated above, a well-insulated garage door can regulate the interior temperature. In addition, it also will prevent the hot or cold air from escaping through the garage door.
  
  
• Better resistance to dents: Insulation can provide an added layer of protection to help prevent dents, allowing you to enjoy years of a beautiful dent-free garage door.
  
• Reduces street noise: A noisy street can easily ruin a night at home. An insulated garage door can help reduce street noise from entering your home, and as a bonus, it can provide soundproofing benefits.
  
  
• Thermal efficiency: When your garage door and the surrounding walls in your garage are adequately insulated, you can achieve thermal efficiency, allowing your garage to maintain the proper temperature.

Other Tips and Tricks to Consider

• Air leakage: Large gaps between your garage door and walls can cause air to escape your garage, leaving even the most well-insulated doors useless when it comes to energy-efficiency. By installing proper fitting seals, weather strips and hardware, this can help reduce the energy loss. Our Wayne Dalton dealers can ensure professional-quality installation and limit the risk of air leakage. 
  
  
• Windows: While windows on garage doors can be attractive, they can also be a source of energy loss. When considering windows, look for windows with low-emissivity coatings and glazes to decrease the potential for energy loss.
  
  
• Rooms and walls: Even if you have the most insulated garage door, if your garage walls are not well-insulated, it can impact the efficiency of your garage door. The same goes for the rooms above or surrounding your garage. If they are also not insulated, this can create a weakness for your garage.

When choosing a garage door, always consider what is best for you and your needs. Wayne Dalton garage doors have multiple thermal efficient garage doors with the listed R-value for each option to find the perfect one for your exact needs. By incorporating these tips, you will be able to increase your garage door's insulation. Contact a Wayne Dalton local dealer or visit our website to shop a variety of the garage doors we offer.