During winter, most homeowners insulate their windows and doors with an aim of reducing heating bills. One place that is commonly forgotten is the garage door and it ends up allowing cold air into the adjacent areas. When the garage is too cold, it waters down the energy efficiency measures you may have taken. Furthermore, if your car stays in a garage that is not insulated for several days, its doors might jam due to the freezing air. The best time to winter proof your garage is during fall using some of the strategies discussed below.
Insulating the garage door
You need to insulate your garage door whether it is made from wood, steel or aluminum to increase energy efficiency in your house. Fortunately, garage door insulation kits are widely available in most hardware stores. When looking for kits, the two popular types you will find in the market are soft spun fiberglass or solid polystyrene sheets. If you settle for the solid polystyrene insulation, it is not difficult to install it on your garage door. All you need is to measure the height and length of the door panel and then cut the insulation using a utility knife to fit these measurements. Next, you will slide the insulation between the horizontal panels of the garage door, ensuring it fits well into the spaces. You will then secure the ends of the insulation with a foil tape so that it stays in place. Soft spun fiberglass insulation comes with plastic clips, which you will use to secure the insulation on the garage door.
Replacing the weather stripping
Weather stripping is the seal between the garage door and the frame. Although garage doors come with this weather stripping already installed, it cracks with time, allowing cold air from outside to seep into the garage. If your weather stripping is worn out, you need to peel it away from the garage door. To make the surface where it was attached smoother and ease installation, scrap off any remaining sealant with a putty knife of flat scraper. Measure the length of the weather stripping before proceeding to the hardware store to buy a new one. Align the new stripping along the door in such a way that the rubber slightly flattens against the garage door. If the door opens easily without jamming, you can be sure that you have installed the weather stripping properly.
Contact a local door company, like Mid-South Door Co, for more help.
