Our technicians at Neighborhood Garage Door Service of San Jose, California get all kinds of questions about picking the right garage door. There are many factors that go into the decision. One of the key components is the level of garage door insulation you need. But why is this so important?
What’s at stake?
Before we get into the details, it’s helpful to know why we’re even talking about this. There are a lot of aspects of your overhead door’s suitability to your home. Let’s take a look at two big ones.
Strength
The stronger and more durable your garage door is, the longer the life you can expect out of it. Our overhead doors can take quite a beating over their lifetime.
- Kids hitting them with bikes, balls, bats, etc.
- Bumping with a trashcan on the way in
- Back into the door with your vehicle
The tensile strength of your door will determine how it withstands this punishment. This refers to the weight or pressure that a panel can stand up to before failing.
Noise
If you have a stand-alone garage or shed, you’ve probably never thought about soundproofing your door. However, if it’s attached to your home, you know the value of soundproofing. Clearly a door that has multiple layers and insulation will block out more sound that one that does not.
Layering
Single or dual
The lowest end of insulation is a single-layered door. This basically means that the door is made from one sheet of metal with no insulation at all.
Dual layered door take you up one step by adding a panel of styrofoam behind each door panel. This gives some insulation benefit. However, because it’s exposed on the backside, it’s subject to damage and eventually disintegration.
Triple
Triple-layered doors are the best option for a well-insulated door. They are built using two sheets of steel with a layer of insulation between. This insulation can be panels of polyurethane or styrofoam, or spray foam which expands to fill the panel.
Materials
For metal garage doors, there are two popular materials for the insulation layer.
Styrofoam
Styrofoam is a particular variety of polystyrene. Polystyrene beads are heated to expand into a desired shape. It can then be cut down to size if needed. Styrofoam is used to make everyday items like coffee cups, plates, and often as packing material. If you’ve ever played with a sheet of packing material that was in the box your microwave came in, you’ve handling styrofoam.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is not heated to expand. Rather, it expands as its chemical components come together. The tight packing of the cells give it a much higher resistance to heat transfer. This equates to better insulation.
Polyurethane is also a more rigid material, so it’s used in manufacturing things like furniture and car bumpers. Because of this, it is more durable and gives your door more reinforcement than polystyrene.
If you have questions about this topic or any other, we’ve got you covered. Neighborhood Garage Door Service of San Jose, CA has the expert knowledge to help you pick the best garage door insulation for your needs and budget. Call us today and we’ll put our 20 years of knowledge and experience to work for you. Call us today to get started.
