The garage is one of the most important parts of your home, providing you with a place to keep your car and store all of your tools. It’s also one of the rooms that are often overlooked when it comes to energy efficiency.
However, there are many ways that you can make your garage more energy efficient. These tips will help you save money on your utility bills while also helping the environment.
1. Update the Insulation in your Garage Walls.
Insulation is one of the most important things you can do to make your garage more energy efficient. It helps keep the heat in, it keeps the cold out, and it also keeps sound from traveling between rooms. Insulation works by trapping air in tiny pockets that prevent heat loss through conduction and convection.
Heat loss can be reduced by up to 50% with the right insulation. You can find a variety of insulation options, including fiberglass and cellulose. Both are very effective at reducing heat loss in your home.
2. Install a Garage Door that Seals the Edges.
Installing a garage door that seals the edges is one of the easiest ways to get started improving your home's energy efficiency.
Garage doors are the biggest source of air leaks in the home, which means that every time you open or close your garage door, you're letting in a lot of unwanted hot or cold air. This can make it harder for you to maintain comfortable temperatures throughout your house and can even damage some components of your heating and cooling system if left unchecked for too long. Installing a new door seal is an easy fix that will help you save money on heating costs this winter—and it might even make your house feel more comfortable.
3. Install Weatherstripping
Weatherstripping is one of the best ways to save money on your heating bill, and it can be installed on the bottom, top, and sides of your garage door.
As you know, heat naturally rises. So if you install weatherstripping on the bottom and sides of your garage door, it will help to keep cold air from escaping out through these areas. Additionally, if you have a large gap between your garage door and the ground outside, it can be filled with foam insulation to help seal off any drafts that might be coming in through the space.
4. Add Energy-Efficient Lighting
You can also save money and energy by installing lights that are motion-activated, dimmable, and daylight-balanced. Motion-activated lighting is a good way to make sure the garage is only lit when it's being used, which saves on electricity costs.
Dimmable lights allow you to adjust the brightness of your garage's lighting as needed, which will help maximize your savings potential. And daylight-balanced bulbs provide illumination that matches natural light—so they're great for areas where you want some extra light but don't need bright overhead lighting (like when you're working on small projects).
5. Replace Garage Windows
If your garage has windows, they're probably letting in a lot of heat. Windows that are not insulated can lose a large amount of energy. Likewise, windows that aren't sealed correctly or don't have weatherstripping can allow for significant amounts of air to rush out of your garage and into the outdoors.
It's important to replace any old windows in your garage with new ones—especially if you live in an area where the temperature gets cold during wintertime.
Making Your Garage More Energy Efficient
We hope that this article has provided you with some great tips on how to make your garage more energy efficient. If you're looking for a company that can provide you with a wider variety of garage door services, please feel free to contact Peter and Sons today. Let's work together to make your garage more energy efficient!