An Ontario winter puts your garage door to the test. If your garage is attached to the house, sits under a bedroom, or doubles as a workshop or home gym, the door you choose makes a real difference to comfort and energy use. Here’s what to know about insulated garage doors before you buy.
Why insulate your garage door?
- A warmer garage. The garage door is usually the largest uninsulated opening in a home. Insulating it helps keep the garage from dropping to outdoor temperatures.
- Warmer rooms above and beside the garage. Bedrooms over a garage and walls shared with the house are often the coldest spots in a home.
- A quieter door. Insulated doors are stiffer and dampen sound, so they run more quietly and cut street noise.
- A stronger door. Multi-layer construction resists dents better than a single sheet of steel.
Understanding R-value
R-value measures how well a material resists heat flow. The higher the number, the better it insulates. When comparing doors, check how the manufacturer calculates R-value, since some quote the insulation core alone and others the whole door section. Ask for the figure for the door model and thickness you’re actually considering.
Polystyrene vs. polyurethane insulation
Polystyrene is a rigid foam board fitted inside the door sections. It’s a solid, cost-effective upgrade over an uninsulated door.
Polyurethane is foamed in place, so it fills the whole cavity and bonds to the steel skins. It typically gives a higher R-value for the same thickness and makes for a stiffer, quieter door. Clopay’s Intellicore® polyurethane insulation, used in several of the collections we carry, is an example.
Insulation isn’t the whole story
An insulated door will still lose heat if air leaks around it. Make sure your project includes:
- A tight bottom seal that meets the floor evenly, even if the slab has settled.
- Weather stripping on the sides and top of the frame. See our weather stripping options.
- Thermal seals between sections, which many insulated doors include.
- Insulated or double-pane windows if your door has glass.
- Sealed, capped door frames. Aluminum frame capping protects the wood around the door from moisture.
Insulated garage doors we carry
Many of the residential doors in our showroom are available with insulation, including the Clopay Classic, Modern Steel, Gallery, Coachman, Bridgeport Steel and Canyon Ridge collections. We also offer Canadian-made doors built for our climate.
Winter tips for any garage door
- Lubricate rollers, hinges and springs before the cold sets in.
- Clear ice and snow from the bottom seal so the door doesn’t freeze to the floor.
- Check that the door is balanced, since springs are more likely to fail in very cold weather.
- See four tips to get your garage ready for winter.
See insulated doors in person
Visit our showroom at 40 Industrial Parkway South in Aurora, next to the Aurora GO Station, to compare door construction side by side, or request a quote. You can also browse styles anytime in our Door Picker.