Many ways exist for people to go “green” with home improvement, from new windows and doors to insulation and types of paint. However the largest opening in the home, the garage door, is often times overlooked. It shouldn’t be overlooked. There are many pluses and ways to go green with your garage door. The following two options will allow you to make the biggest impact, either replacing your door entirely with a new, green one, or making energy efficient upgrades.
Green Makeover – Upgrading Your Door.
If you don’t like going into your garage in the winter because its too cold, or in the summer because it is too hot, your garage door may not be energy efficient. While you may discount this and say you only use the garage to store junk and park your vehicle, keep in mind that any rooms attached to the garage are going to be effected by the lacking insulation. This means that you will need to use more energy to keep those rooms at a agreeable temperature.
How do you stop your garage from being a costly money pit? Pick up some weather stripping and rubber molding from a home supply store and apply it to your garage door. Anywhere there is a crack that can allow wind, you want to block it off. To see if you sealed up the door, just run your fingers under the garage door on a windy afternoon. If you think you missed a section you will feel wind coming in.
Buy A New, Eco Garage Door
If your garage door is extremely destroyed or beaten up to be helped by a simple renovation job, you should really buy a new garage door. There is a long list of doors to decide from, but if you want to go eco it is suggested that you buy wood composite. Wood composite garage doors are not overly costly, eco friendly (made with recycled material), and don’t require maintenance. This means you don’t need to apply chemical sealants or paint annuallyeach year.
There is a variety of styles and colors to choose from when it comes to wood composite, so matching the face of your home wont be a problem. Price can vary depending on the material and location, but you will make it back on energy savings over time. But to get a rough estimate of price, just Google garage doors Detroit or whatever place you are in and start dialing companies you are interested in. Most will offer a free price quote right then and there.
With these two options, you can do your part for the environment, and your wallet.
