Insulated garage doors are rising in popularity among homeowners, and for good reason.
An insulated garage door provides an additional layer of protection between the outdoors and indoors, helping regulate temperature as well as noise.
Installing an insulated garage door is simple. When installing the garage door workers will include insulation, which will most likely be made of fiberglass.
There are also ways of insulating an existing garage door DIY.
The insulation improves temperature control by reducing the warmth leaking from your home in the winter time and cold air during the summer so you can keep your home at the temperature you want without high energy bills.
How Much Does An Insulated Garage Door Cost?
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An insulated garage door is typically more expensive than an uninsulated garage door.
Garage door replacement costs greatly vary on the type of garage door material, door size and style, as well as the manufacturer.
A steel double layer insulated garage door costs between $800 and $1,700, whereas a triple layer insulated garage door costs between $1,000 and $2,000 or more.
In comparison, an uninsulated, single layer garage door costs only between $350 and $1,000.
Although an insulated garage door is more expensive, you should also calculate the amount of savings you will get on your energy bills by installing an insulated garage door.
Many homeowners find that over the years an insulated garage door actually saves them money in the long run because it costs less to heat or cool their home.
| Single Layer Garage Door | $350 – $1,000 |
|---|---|
| Double Layer Garage Door | $800 – $1,700 |
| Triple Layer Garage Door | $1,000 – $2,000 |
Cost To Install A Insulated Garage Door
On average, hiring a professional to install an insulated garage door will cost $550 – 1,100 depending on the size and material of the door, as well as complexity of installation.
Alternatively, if you are looking to save money of the cost of labor and the cost of the garage door itself, you can install insulated garage door panels on your existing garage door. This can save you hundreds of dollars.
Cost of Insulated Garage Doors at Home Depot
Home Depot is a popular retailer of insulated garage doors. They offer a range of garage door choices at a reasonable price point.
At Home Depot, you can purchase both insulated single and double door garage doors.
On average an insulated single garage door through Home Depot costs between $550 and $1,000, whereas an insulated double garage door costs between $2,000 and $3,500.
Home Depot offers both Carriage House and Classic style insulated garage doors. A Carriage House garage door is styled with door handles in the center of the garage door, and offered in both single and double door versions. On average, the Carriage House garage door costs $1,600 for a single door and $3,300 for a double garage door.
The Classic style garage door is a traditional garage door that comes in single or double versions. A single garage door in the Classic style costs between $550 – $650.
A double garage door in Classic style costs between $700 and $3,300. The wide range is because of other factors including windows, embellishments, and color.
| Insulated Single Garage Door | $550 – $1,000 |
|---|---|
| Insulated Double Garage Door | $2,000 – $3,500 |
| Carriage House Single Garage Door | $1,600 |
| Carriage House Double Garage Door | $3,300 |
| Classic Single Garage Door | $550 – $650 |
| Classic Double Garage Door | $700 -$3,300 |
Other Factors That Impact Garage Door Cost
In addition to whether a garage door is insulated or uninsulated, there are several other factors that will determine in part the cost of the garage door.
First, the material you choose will impact the cost. While insulated steel garage doors are most common, there are insulated garage doors made from vinyl and other types of materials. Which material you end up choosing will impact the cost of the insulated garage.
Another factor that affects costs is the type of garage door you choose. There are many different types of garage doors, including French style, carriage style, panel style, and more.
Standard panel garage doors are the most affordable style, whereas carriage and custom designed garage doors are the most expensive.
Of course, the size of the garage door will also determine the cost. An 8’ by 7’ garage door will cost significantly less than a 16’ by 8’ garage door. Keep in mind size when budgeting for an insulated garage door as size is one of the key determining factors in the cost.
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Some Key Terms To Understand
When you are searching for an insulated garage door to purchase, you will likely hear several phrases thrown around. Understanding these terms can help you compare insulated garage doors between brands by comparing how they perform on a limited set of features.
R-Value
First, you may encounter the term R-value. R-value is a measurement of the thermal efficiency of the garage door, meaning how well it can block out unwanted air from the outdoors.
A higher R-value is good– it means less cold air leaking in the summer and less hot air leaking in the winter.
U-factor
You might also run into the term U-factor. U-factor means how easily heat flows through a material.
In terms of insulated garage doors, a lower U-factor is better than a higher one, because it means that heat will not enter your home as easily in the summer and not escape as easily in the winter.
STC Ratings
Finally, you might come across STC ratings. An STC rating stands for Sound Transmission Class, and measures how much sound enters through the garage door.
This is a useful rating to pay attention to if you are purchasing an insulated garage door in the hopes of blocking out unwanted noise from the outdoors.
The higher the STC rating, the more soundproof the garage door is.
Benefits Of An Insulated Garage Door
There are many benefits to an insulated garage door that make it a popular choice among homeowners looking to purchase a new garage door.
The key benefits of an insulated garage door are listed below.
Durability:
Insulated garage doors are more durable than non-insulated garage doors. Insulated garage doors are built for extra strength to withstand more impact, which is important in case of accidents or other collisions.
One feature that makes insulated garage doors more durable is the frame. Most insulated garage doors are made with an aluminum or steel frame filled with insulating material.
In contrast, non-insulated garage doors tend to be made of thin steel sheets that encircle the frame, which is a much less durable construction.
Energy Efficient:
Insulating your garage door is an excellent way to save energy. With an uninsulated garage door, air escapes and enters the home through the garage, making it more difficult to keep the home at a desirable temperature.
Uninsulated garages are one of the least energy efficient areas of the home because of the poor insulation.
This results in higher expenditures on energy bills to try to keep the home comfortable, which is bad for the pocketbook as well as the environment.
In comparison insulated garage doors keep the outdoor air and indoor air apart with its thick protective layers of insulation.
With an insulated garage door you may see a decrease in energy bills because of the improved insulation.
Convenience:
If you want to use your garage as a functional space, having an insulated garage is very beneficial.
For instance, a garage workshop will be a much more comfortable temperature in the winter and summer months if the garage door is insulated. Even a garage fridge will be much easier to access if the garage is insulated.
A study found that on a 20 degree Fahrenheit winter day, an uninsulated garage was 30 degrees whereas an insulated garage was 42 degrees.
Although twelve degrees may not seem like such a large difference at first, it is actually quite significant.
The temperature difference will make all the difference for anyone who must spend time in the garage, even briefly from the car to indoors.
Having the garage at a more comfortable temperature can make the entire experience of entering and leaving your home more comfortable.
Noise Reduction:
An insulated garage door will reduce the sounds from the streets inside the home. If you live on a busy road or in a loud neighborhood, insulating your garage door will make your home peacefully quiet.
That is because the insulation that keeps the home temperature controlled also blocks out potentially disruptive sounds.
In addition to blocking out disruptive sounds, an insulated garage door reduces the noise of the garage door opening and closing.
This is especially beneficial if you have rooms above the garage, so the grating noise of an opening or closing garage door does not become a nuisance.
Protects Your Car:
In the winter months, an uninsulated garage can become very cold. This can potentially cause a range of issues in the cars parked within the cold garage, such as shorter battery life, lower air pressure in tires, thickening of fluids, and more.
An insulated garage door will keep the garage a more safe temperature in the winter, ensuring the cars parked within do not experience harm.
Car batteries are most effective when the outdoor temperature is between 30 and 90 degrees.
If you live in a region that frequently goes outside of this temperature range, purchasing an insulated garage door is likely well worth it to protect your car while it sits in the garage.
Type of Garage Door Insulation
Insulated garage doors are made from two types of insulation: polystyrene and polyurethane. What is the difference between these two insulation types?
The question actually lies in whether you want to insulate your garage door with a kit or by a professional.
Retailers sell kits of polystyrene insulation that you cut into shape and insert in
between layers of the garage door.
This is a more hands-on method of insulating your garage door, and works well for double-layered insulation.
On the other hand, if you want a triple-layered insulated garage or want a professional insulation, you will likely get polyurethane insulation. Polyurethane foam is sprayed between garage door panels during manufacturing, ensuring maximum insulation.
Polyurethane foam cannot be added to a door after it is installed, so if you want polyurethane insulation you will need to purchase an entirely new door.
Polystyrene insulation, on the other hand, can be added to an existing garage door at a margin of the cost of a new door. This is a good option if your garage door functions well but you want to add insulation.
If your garage door is older, buying a new insulated garage door makes sense in the long run.
Polystyrene insulation is cheaper than polyurethane foam, and is also less durable and insulating. Polyurethane is a higher quality insulating material and will give you top insulation performance, but at a higher cost.
Insulated vs. Uninsulated Garage Doors
There are some key differences between insulated and uninsulated garage doors that can help you choose between each type.
There are three main types of garage doors: single layer garage doors that have no insulation, double layer garage doors that have a layer of insulation, usually made of polystyrene, and triple layer garage doors that have thicker layers of polystyrene or polyurethane insulation.
Triple layer garage doors are the most energy efficient, but double layer garage doors are a good choice for those who may not want to spend the money on a triple garage door but want to have some of the benefits of insulation.
In terms of costs, an uninsulated garage door costs between $350 and $1,000. In comparison, a double layer insulated garage door costs between $800 – $1,700 and a triple layer garage door costs between $1,000 and $2,000+.
Insulated garage doors are most commonly made of steel, whereas uninsulated garage doors are made from a variety of materials.
Frequently Asked Questions About Insulated Garage Doors
Here are the answers to the most common questions homeowners have about insulated garage doors.
Are Insulated Garage Doors Good For the Environment?
Insulated garage doors are good for the environment because they increase the energy efficiency of the home.
When the air outdoors is colder than the air indoors, heat escapes the home through the garage door, leading to higher energy costs to heat the home.
On the other hand, when the air outdoors is warmer, the cool air conditioned air escapes through the garage door, requiring more energy to be spent on cooling the home.
With an insulated garage door, this energy transfer is significantly reduced. As a result, you will need to spend less on heating and cooling bills.
About 20% of US energy emissions come from heating and cooling homes, so reducing the energy spent on temperature control has the potential to significantly benefit the environment.
How Much Difference Does An Insulated Garage Door Make?
An insulated garage door will make the most difference in you live in a cold climate, with low temperatures for many months out of the year.
Typically, installing an insulated garage door will make the temperature inside your garage over 20 degrees warmer than the air outside. Note, that this difference in temperature will depend greatly on the R-value of the insulated door.
Overall, installing an insulated garage door can mean the difference of having your garage be at freezing temperature vs comfortable temperature.
Should I Buy an Insulated Garage Door?
The question of whether to buy an insulated garage door depends on several factors. First, if you live in a region where the temperature varies significantly through the year or reaches extreme highs or lows, an insulated garage door may likely be worth it to aid with the temperature control of the home.
On the other hand, if you have a separate garage that is not attached to the home, purchasing an insulated garage door may not be worth it.
That is because you do not have to risk outdoor air from entering through the garage and seeping into the rest of the home.
However, if you have a separate garage but use it as a functional space, it may be worth it to purchase an insulated garage door.
Another factor to consider is how you use your garage. Do you use it as a workshop or a hobby space? Do you keep animals or plants in the garage?
If so, then choosing an insulated garage door is likely a good choice to keep the space inhabitable.
Is an Insulated Garage Door Worth it?
For homeowners planning on selling their home in the next ten years, an insulated garage door is likely worth it because it increases the home’s resale value.
A new garage door has an ROI of 90%,, which goes up to about 95% if you choose an insulated garage door.
This means that when you sell your home you will receive back 90% of what you paid for the garage door in the price of your home.
Additionally, a new garage door increases curb appeal, which is worthwhile when planning on selling your home soon.
Even if you don’t plan on selling your home, an insulated garage door may still be worth it.
An insulated garage door will provide many benefits for the home, and may significantly reduce the amount spent on bills to heat or cool your home.
By properly insulating your home, a study found that homeowners can save as much as 20% on their energy bills.
In the long term, many homeowners find that an insulated garage door is a worthwhile investment that balances out the initial cost of an insulated garage door.
If you want to reduce noise, improve energy efficiency, and cut down on temperature control bills, an insulated garage door is an excellent option.
