Insulated Garage Doors: Pros and Cons

Most people have a pretty good idea what to look for in an appliance, their cars, and even their carpet. However, garage doors are another matter. It’s not likely that you will purchase more than one or two sets of new garage doors during your lifetime, so you probably haven’t had a reason to do any research. Consequently, you probably need information on the different garage doors for sale. It is always good to know your options along with the pros and cons of each, before you shop. Specifically, you should look at the benefits of installing insulated garage doors and decide if you should make the investment.

4 Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Garage Door

There are four things that you should consider before you go shopping for a residential garage door: location, the purpose of your garage, noise-level, and your budget.

#1 – Where is Your Home Located?

Look in your closet. If you don’t own a swimsuit or a parka, then you don’t need insulated garage doors.

The purpose of insulation is to keep heat inside your home or to keep heat out of the house. So, if you live in places like Portland, Oregon where the temperature is a pleasant 60 degrees most of the year, then insulation is unnecessary.

However, in other locations, like Ohio, where you can expect to see both the upper 90’s and sub-zero temperatures, that is a different story.

#2 – What is the Purpose of Your Garage?

The average temperatures in your location are the first thing to consider, but the use of your garage is an even bigger factor in determining whether or not you need insulated garage doors.

Many garages are used as additional living space either full-time or part-time.

• Man-Caves
• Party Rooms
• Office Space

Obviously, if you are using your garage as a living space, then it needs to be protected against the heat and cold temperatures.

More common than additional living space is the garage ‘workshop.’ Whether it’s cars or wood, you can find many garages with attached workshop areas, or in some cases, you find the entire garage converted into a workspace. If you plan to spend more than a few minutes working in your garage, then insulated garage doors might be a sound investment.

Yes, you can buy space heaters, but most are not efficient enough to combat below-freezing temperatures.

Too Noisy for the Neighbors?

The noise level depends on the purpose of your garage. If you’ve got your teenage son’s ‘garage band’ out there practicing, your neighbors would prefer you bought insulated garage doors. Power tools, car engines, and party noise could cause a disturbance and possibly a noise complaint.

Insulating your garage doors helps muffle the noise and keeps you from annoying the neighbors.

Compare the Price of Uninsulated and Insulated Garage Doors

Of course, your budget is always a consideration. Most of the time insulated garage doors will run a bit more than uninsulated doors, but not as much as you might think. On average, an insulated door costs about 25% more than an uninsulated door. The price of your garage doors depends on the style, the material, whether it’s single or double, in other words, a whole host of things.

Honestly, your best course of action is to look at your needs, shop for the door you like, and then get quotes for both uninsulated and insulated garage doors. Compare the pricing and decide if the benefits outweigh the extra cost.

Nofziger Doors has been selling garage doors for over 70 years. We can help you weigh the pros and cons of insulated garage doors. Just give us a call. We can answer all your questions.