How to Have an Energy-Efficient Garage

Winter in Western Canada is always extremely cold, with cities like Fort McMurray, Alberta experiencing temperatures as cold as -45°C. Now that’s cold!

We all know how important it is to have an insulated house when these temperatures come around, but fewer people think about the insulation, or lack thereof, in their garages. Without proper insulation, you’re basically rolling out the welcome mat for cold air into your home. That means you’re wasting energy, which means higher energy bills. An energy-efficient garage can help to solve this problem.

wayne dalton residential garage door somerset woodgrain in winter

How Do You Build a More Energy-Efficient Garage?

Although you may have not endured temperatures as low as our Prairie neighbours, you still may be letting cool air into your home, and savings out. So, whether your city gets frigid like Regina, has chinooks like Calgary, or rains like Vancouver, these simple solutions will reduce your energy costs and keep more money in your wallet.

Insulate Your Garage Walls and Ceiling

Insulating your garage walls and ceiling are two of the most effective ways to help make a more energy-efficient garage. You could be losing a lot of heat through the uninsulated parts.

The Roof

While you’re inspecting your garage roof, you should check for any cracks or leaks that could let out the warm air. If you find any damage, you should repair it immediately. You may even need to replace the entire roof if there’s a lot of damage. This will all help to keep the heat inside and improve your garage’s energy efficiency.

The Walls

Some garages don’t have interior walls. If yours doesn’t, now is the time to put some up, complete with insulation. You should also inspect for any cracks in the walls and around windows, outlets, and doors, air sealing any that you find. Proper insulation and sealing will help to keep the heat inside your garage and it can also help to protect your family from unwanted fumes if your garage is attached to your home.

Related: How to Keep the Room Above Your Garage Warm

mother keeping daughter warm in a cozy blanket

Insulate Your Garage Door

The door is another place where a lot of heat is lost. Instead of losing all that energy, the best way to conserve energy in your garage during the winter is to make sure you have a garage door with a high R-value. R-value is a measure of thermal resistance, so a higher R-value means better thermal resistance. For the frigid Canadian winters, an R-value of 11 or greater is recommended.

Related: What Is R-Value and Why Is It So Important?

You should also check your door’s weatherstripping. Any worn, damaged, or missing weatherstripping should be replaced, which will help improve your garage’s energy efficiency.

Add a Radiant Barrier

Radiant barriers consist of a shiny, reflective material that works to reduce heat transference through radiation, as opposed to conductive or convective heat flow. They are commonly used in attics but can also be used in garages to improve energy efficiency.

Upgrade the Interior Access Door

The door between your garage and the rest of your home can be a major point of heat loss. Take some time to inspect and evaluate it.

If you have an older door, it’s likely not giving you the energy efficiency that a newer door is capable of. If you already have a newer door, you can check to see what kind of a seal it's providing and replace or upgrade the weatherstripping and threshold barrier on the bottom if necessary.

soft cushion to block cold air and drafts in the winter

Check the Floor

A damaged garage floor can cause more energy loss than you might think. Cold air could be coming into your garage through cracks in the floor. It can also lead to heaving. Seal any cracks in the floor with caulking and lay garage mats down to prevent cold air from coming up from the floors.

If you have a second floor in your garage, properly insulate the area to prevent heat escaping from the roof.

Inspect Your Windows

Do you know how energy-efficient your windows are? Windows that are older, broken, or improperly insulated are huge culprits for letting cold air in. Begin by examining windows for cracks or breaks. Any broken or older windows will need to be replaced with newer, energy-efficient models.

You should check the weatherstripping around the windows and repair or replace any worn or damaged seals. Insulate them with insulated window kits, which can be found at most hardware stores. If you have any storm windows, check them to ensure they are properly shut.

Related: Garage Door Windows 101

Look at the Lights

Upgrading your garage lights can help you save even more energy. Put your lights on a timer and seal up any skylights with caulking to keep cold air out of the space.

Thinking of LEDs? Although energy-efficient, LED lights can interfere with the signal sent from a garage door opener, which prevents it from functioning properly.

Add Solar Panels for Heating

If heating your garage during the winter is a must, you might want to consider adding solar panels to the roof. Constantly heating your garage in the cold months can make your utility costs skyrocket, so adding solar panels and harnessing the power of the sun to power your heater is a great way to keep your costs down and be more energy efficient.

Wayne Dalton 6600 Custom Arlington Stockbridge garage door freshly installed

Call Creative Door Services™ and Build a More Energy Efficient Garage

Creative Door Services™ can help you create a more energy-efficient garage by providing garage door repair and installation of higher R-value doors. Contact us today to make an appointment. We can’t wait to hear from you. You can find us in Kelowna, British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Fort McMurray, Alberta; Regina, Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

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