Understanding R-Value and Why It Is Important

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You’re ready to shop for a new garage door and want to make sure you make the best selection. One term that you need to be familiar with is the door’s R-value.

Here’s what you need to know about R-value and how it relates to your garage door.

The Basics of the R-Value

A garage door’s R-value refers to how much insulation the door has. A higher R-value means that the garage door is created from materials that don’t conduct heat well, allowing it to provide high levels of insulation. An R-40 value is considered a high R-value by the US Department of Energy.

Lower R-values mean that the garage door is manufactured from materials that conduct heat well. This means that it does a poor job of providing insulation for your garage.

Why Insulation Matters

Your garage door encloses a space that would otherwise be a large hole in the side of your home.

A garage door with poor insulation qualities will allow the air temperature inside the garage to quickly change temperature, creating a space that’s uncomfortable and expensive to heat and cool.

Selecting a garage door with insulating qualities helps you keep the space at a comfortable temperature and use less energy to do so.

Is a Higher R-Value Always Better?

With R-values, you need to consider the price of the garage door and how much more efficient a high R-value is at insulating your garage.

Insulation R-values adhere to the law of diminishing returns. This means that as you increase the R-value, the amount of additional insulation gradually gets smaller and smaller.

For example, an R-16 garage door isn’t twice as effective at offering insulation as an R-8 garage door.

Instead, an R-16 door provides a 5 percent improvement in energy efficiency. An R-32 garage door is 7 percent more energy efficient than an R-8 product.

For garages that are heated or cooled, look for an R-9 to R-13 garage door. If a garage functions as a living space, an R-13 garage door is ideal.

Purchase Your New Garage Door

Thomas V. Giel Garage Doors, Inc. offers a wide selection of commercial and residential garage doors, as well as installation and maintenance services. Contact us at 724-443-1437 or visit us online to get started!