Garage doors have different types and sizes. Insulated and uninsulated ones are among those. In this article we will try to explain what exactly are insulated and uninsulated doors. The advantages and disadvantages associated with either of them and what are the features that make one distinct from the other. You can choose a garage door repair company if you want to buy insulated or uninsulated garage doors. So, let’s get started:
Insulated garage doors:
Insulated garage doors are manufactured with at least two layers of steel with an insulation between them. The insulation layer is made of polystyrene sheet or a thicker polyurethane sheet. The multiple tiers of materials’ make it a triple layer garage door.
Advantages of Insulated garage doors:
There are many advantages of insulated garage doors. Some of them are;
Strength: Insulated garage doors are durable and robust. The double layers of steel make them thick to penetrate and tough. They wear and tear slowly and can take a lot of beating.
Energy efficient: Insulated garage doors are more energy efficient. They trap the cold or hot air inside and doesn’t let it escape. In this way during harsh weather the temperature inside the garage or your house remains tolerable and your electricity bills under control.
Quiet: The multiple layers of materials in an insulated garage door make it hard for noise to pass through. It will keep all the unwanted noise at bay.
Weather resistant: Due to its tough exterior it withstands all the weather hostilities. Your equipment will remain safe inside the garage when you use an insulated garage door.
Disadvantages of Insulated garage doors:
Expensive: The main and probably the only disadvantage of an insulated garage door is its cost. It is expensive. All those advantages come with a heavy price tag. But in the long run it is worth the price. You don’t change garage doors every now and then so it’s better to get one which will last longer and will be a value addition to your home.
Un-insulated garage doors:
Uninsulated garage doors consist of a one single layer of steel. It is just a barrier between the outside and the inside. It is good for detached homes or garages where the climate is moderate throughout the year.
Advantages of un-insulated garage doors:
Cost: The biggest advantage of un-insulated garage door is that they are very cheap. If you are on a tight budget then un-insulated garage door is your best bet. Aside from economy of price it has no other advantages worth writing about.
Disadvantages of un-insulated garage doors:
They have many drawbacks; we list some major ones below;
Cheap look: Not only are they cheap but they look cheap as well. You can tell by looking at them that they are of inferior quality plus the design options are rather limited in their case.
Less durable: They are not strong as they comprise of one single sheet. Therefore, they wear out rapidly.
Doesn’t save energy: It cannot stop hot or cold air from entering your garage. Your garage will reflect the extreme weather conditions outside. You cannot use your garage for any other activity like a gym or a workshop with an un-insulated garage door.
Distinctions between Insulated and Un-insulated garage doors:
The many points of distinctions between them can be described below;
Cost:
Insulated garage doors are more expensive because they use more material whereas uninsulated ones use one layer of material and are way cheaper.
Strength:
Insulated garage doors are built with strength in mind. They last longer and have definite edge over un-insulated ones when it comes to durability.
Weather resistance:
Insulated garage doors can face harsh weather and not get affected by it. Un-insulated garage doors cannot take a weather beating.
Designs:
Insulated garage doors come in a variety of designs whereas the un-insulated ones have a rather limited design option.
These are some of the major points of distinctions between an insulated and un-insulated garage door.
Which one to go for?
Whether you want an insulated or an insulated garage door is entirely up to you but there are some factors which you can consider which will help you make a more informed and better decision.
Budget:
If you are low on cash then definitely you should go for an uninsulated garage door otherwise you can conveniently go for insulated one.
Climate:
If you are located in an area where the weather will be temperate than you can buy an uninsulated garage door. But if you live in an area where temperatures go to extremes than insulated one should be your consideration.
Usage:
If you would like to use your garage for other activities as well then you should buy insulated garage door because uninsulated garage door cannot protect your belonging well as we have explained above.
Energy conservation:
If you want to save on your electricity bill then opt for insulated glass door otherwise you should buy uninsulated one.
Peace of mind:
An insulated glass door will keep you safe and sound. It will not decay anytime soon. It will absorb all the outside noise keeping your home quiet and peaceful. You should definitely think of insulated garage door if you want all of these factors.
Cost of insulation:
An insulated garage door for a single car garage will cost around US$600 whereas for a double car garage it will range between US$800-1000.
Understanding R-values:
R-values are the unit by which the insulation thickness is measured by experts. It simply means that the higher the R value the better the thickness.
Conclusion:
In conclusion we can say that compared to un-insulated garage doors, insulated ones have distinct competitive advantages. You should definitely consider insulated garage doors when buying one for yourself. The only distinct advantage of un-insulated garage door is its economy of price.
