How to Make Your Garage More Energy Efficient
As technology continues to allow us to be less dependent on fossil fuels while still living comfortably, more and more homeowners are turning their attention to their home to play their part in conserving our planet. While many of us have already contributed by installing solar panels and smart home appliances, there’s always more to do and it’s time we started on focusing on the individual rooms in our homes, including our garages. Whether it’s to cut back on your energy bills or reduce your carbon footprint, investing the time and energy in making your garage more energy efficient certainly pays off in the long run. Here’s how to get started:
Insulate Your Garage
Many homeowners make the mistake of neglecting to insulate their garage walls, not realizing that the long-term heating and cooling expenses far outweigh the money saved when building the garage. While we’ve already covered the benefits of an insulated garage door and how to check and replace your garage door seal, if you want the most energy-efficient garage possible you’ll need to properly insulate your garage. This includes insulating the walls and sealing up any cracks or spaces where energy or light may be leaking out — especially around doors and windows.
Update Outlets, Bulbs, and Switches
Energy-saving technology is advancing at breakneck speeds and chances are it’s advanced significantly since your garage was built. The same energy-saving technology we use in our homes also applies to our garages, so consider updating your old incandescent lightbulbs with more energy-efficient LEDs. Although a bit pricier, LED lights use up to 80% less energy than standard bulbs and typically last much longer. While you’re at it, consider swapping out your manual light switches with automatic switches or sensors to make forgetting to turn the lights off (and wasting energy) a thing of the past.
Choose the Right Garage door
If you still have an older wood garage door or thin metal non-insulated door you will be losing significant warmth through it. If you have an attached garage or a heated garage, that heat loss amounts to money floating out the door. Replacing your older garage door with a highly insulated door is worth it considering our long, cold Canadian winters. The cost is a lot less than most people imagine and it may save you money over the long haul. Two side benefits are it can make your garage and home a lot more comfortable and provide a nice update to the look of your home as well. If this is of interest to you, or you’re just curious to see what newer garage doors are like, browse our great selection of garage doors to learn more.
Choose the Right Garage Door Opener
Choosing the right electric garage door opener can also make a difference to your garage’s energy efficiency. This is especially true if you’ve updated your garage door to a newer model but kept the same opener. Consider replacing it with a newer, more energy-efficient opener to save on energy bills. Check out our selection of economical and energy-efficient garage door openers to find out more. As a bonus, newer openers are often much safer and provide convenience features that weren’t available a few years ago.
Organize and Declutter
In addition to keeping your garage more organized, decluttering your garage minimizes the chances of rodents and other pests from moving in. While this doesn’t directly improve energy efficiency, rodents and pests are known to chew through insulation, thus making your garage less energy efficient down the line. Moreover, having a neat and tidy garage means it’s easier for you to spot and work on any areas where insulation is lacking, rather than spending an entire weekend moving stuff out of the way just to seal a crack.
Improve Your Garage Energy Efficiency in Calgary
With our vast selection of insulated and energy-efficient garage doors and garage door openers, we at the Door House have you covered. Reach out to us today if you’re ready to take the first steps in improving your garage energy efficiency