The benefits of increasing your garage’s energy efficiency are tremendous, especially if it’s attached to your home! With a few changes, you can drastically diminish your heating and cooling energy consumption.
If you ever plan on selling your house, an energy-efficient garage is a fantastic selling point. It can increase your home’s overall value by maintaining consistent temperatures and lowering utility bills.
If you happen to be storing any prized possessions such as luxury cars or memorabilia in your garage, they’ll be better protected in an environment with a relatively consistent interior temperature.
Even better, you may be eligible for tax credits upon installing a new garage door with insulation properties.
If you’re ready to get started, use these tips to create a more efficient garage! Even if you only utilize a few of them, you’re sure to feel the difference an energy-efficient garage can make to both your home and your wallet.
Seal Floor Cracks
Cold air and gas can seep their way into your garage through cracks in your flooring, which can cause your garage to be very cold in the winter. If your garage is attached to your home, this cold air can make adjacent rooms cold as well. This may force you to pump the heat constantly throughout the winter season. If water also happens to get into the cracks, it may freeze and expand, causing other garage flooring issues and headaches.
By sealing the floor cracks, you seal out any extreme temperatures, helping to keep the internal garage temperature consistent. After the cracks are sealed, you can also add parking mats to help soak up any moisture you or your car may bring in from the rain and snow.
Add Energy-Efficient Garage Lighting
This tip is an easy one. While they have a higher up-front cost, energy-efficient garage lighting can last up to 25 times longer than standard light bulbs while consuming up to 80% less energy. For additional help in choosing from the vast amount of garage lighting options, we recommend using Wise Pick’s garage lighting buying guide.
Upgrade to Energy-Efficient Garage Doors
If you’re ready to purchase new garage doors, consider customizing them to ensure they’re both attractive for curb appeal and energy efficient. Adding windows to your doors allows more natural light to enter your garage interior. This helps to minimize the need for excess electric lighting which, in turn, reduces energy consumption. However, it’s important to note that the more glass there is in a door, the less insulating it is. You’ll want to make sure you find the right balance between your garage door materials.
Insulate Your Garage Walls
Some homes, especially older ones, weren’t built with garage insulation in mind. Many only have siding, radiant sheathing, and a layer of particle board between the inside and outside of your garage. By insulating the walls, you can create more protection from the outdoor elements, helping to maintain a more consistent temperature inside.