You’ve probably heard awesome things concerning insulated garage doors, or maybe you’re thinking about getting your garage door insulated. Perhaps you already paid a technician to have your garage door insulated, and you just want to confirm that they didn’t rip you off. Regardless of the situation, determining if your garage door is insulated is crucial. Here are some ways of telling whether your garage door is insulated:
Measure The Temperature Of Your Garage Door
This is the most effective method of determining whether your garage door is insulated or not. The temperature of your garage door will help you know if it’s insulated and will also help you establish the effectiveness of the insulation. You’ll require a thermometer to do this job, preferably an infrared thermometer like the Fluke 561 HVAC Pro IR Thermometer. It’s a very effective and reliable tool for this job.
Get inside your garage. With the door shut, measure the inside temperature of your garage door by pointing the thermometer in its direction. Record the temperature in your smartphone, notepad, or you can just put it in mind. Now go outside and close the garage door. Measure the outside temperature of the garage door by pointing the thermometer in the direction of the door again.
Now it’s time to contrast the two results. In hot weather conditions, if the outside temperature of the garage door is higher compared to the inside, then it is insulated. But in the event that the two temperatures close to each other or have the same value, then you should consider your garage door not insulated. On the other hand, when the temperature is cold, the inside temperature of the garage door should be warmer compared to the outside. If that’s not the scenario, you should consider the garage door not insulated.
Inspect Your Garage Door’s Back Panel
This is a way easier method of verifying whether your garage door is insulated. So, how will you do it?
Check the inside panels of your garage door. If you’re able to see the panel design of the garage door while you’re inside, then your garage door isn’t insulated. If you can’t see the panel, then it’s insulated.
Insulated garage doors typically comprise two or more layers. The first layer will be made up of the panel designs, while the consequent layers will be comprised of polyurethane or polystyrene. These are mainly the two materials used to insulate garage doors. These layers will be attached to the first panel’s back, which is why the panel won’t be visible. The extra layers conceal it.
Review The Garage Door’s Specs on The Manufacturer’s Site
If you’re aware of the model and brand of your garage door, it is the ideal way of telling whether it is insulated or not. The majority of garage door companies have included the specs of their garage doors on their product page. That’s where they will give all the information concerning that given garage door, and that will include if that product is insulated.
Websites of garage door manufacturers will generally include details like the R-value, materials used, various design options, and whether the door is insulated or not. So if you have the model number and the garage door company, you can look it up online. Make sure that when you’re shopping around for an insulation kit, buy your garage door from a reputable manufacturer who is accountable for the products they’re selling.
What Do Insulated Garage Doors Look Like?
Generally speaking, garage doors that are insulated are thicker when compared to non-insulated doors. The reason for this is that insulated garage doors are usually made up of two or additional layers, unlike uninsulated garage doors. The more the extra layers, the more the insulation. Other than the first layer, every layer after that will be an insulation. Also, there are various types of insulation that are used to cover garage doors. The type of insulation used by the manufacturer affects its thickness.
So should you insulate your garage door? The reason most homeowners insulate their garage door is to enhance overall thermal efficiency. A properly-insulated door means that energy transmission from outside will be reduced. Plus, it will save you from incurring additional costs when it comes to cooling and heating bills.
