How to Make Your Garage More Energy Efficient
Just because you may not be in your garage as much as other parts of your home doesn’t mean that it should be any less energy efficient. Garages are probably the most energy inefficient room in the house.
The garage door is constantly letting energy in and out, windows are leaky, cracks and crevices contribute to energy loss. Altogether, the space in your garage quickly becomes a drafty, damp mess.
Homeowners tend to treat their garages like a part of the outside instead of an extension of their home—and it’s costing them. Saving money means saving the environment, and making simple, easy switches in your garage can do just that.
LED Lights
LED light bulbs are more energy efficient than standard bulbs, so much so that they use 25-80% less energy than their counterparts. Yes, LED light bulbs are more expensive than regular ones, but consider it an investment.
Not only are LEDs more energy efficient, they’ll last longer, too. The lifespan of an LED bulb is 25 times longer than a standard bulb.
Install Insulation
How many garages are fully insulated? This is part of the problem. For most homeowners with older homes, the garage was an afterthought or an addition, quickly tacked onto the side of the house because garages just weren’t as popular back when the home was originally built.
Whatever the case may be, these garages are comprised of walls that don’t have insulation and are just radiant sheathing. Installing insulation in your garage is simple and inexpensive. You can do it yourself or you can have a professional install blown-in insulation.
You’ll save money because your garage won’t be expelling energy, transforming it into an energy efficient space.
Get Rid of Your Extra Freezer or Refrigerator
Are you really using that extra fridge or freezer in your garage? Be honest. If all the appliance is doing is running up your energy bills by keeping a few spare beers cold, then it’s time to throw it out to the curb.
If you must have a fridge or freezer in your garage because of lack of space in your other ones, then definitely get an Energy Star appliance. You’ll save much more money per year running an Energy Star model rather than buying one that isn’t Energy Star certified. Also, consider a mini-fridge since that will use less energy than a full-size one.
Upgrade Your Garage Door to an Insulated Model
We aren’t all blessed with a newer garage door model, and that means most of us are stuck with aluminum doors that lack insulation. This can be detrimental to our monthly energy savings—or lack thereof.
If you’re one of the millions of homeowners with a basic garage door that’s without any insulating features, you have two choices to transform this space to optimal energy efficiency: upgrade your door or purchase an insulation kit. Both options are inexpensive and you’ll notice the difference in your bills and garage temperature right away.
Caulk Windows, Walls, Floors and Cracks
When it comes to energy efficiency, caulking is a powerful tool to help get you there. For about $5, you can get a few tubes of caulking and be on your way to a more energy efficient garage. Caulk around the windows in your garage, any cracks or crevices, and the space between your garage’s walls and concrete floor.
Say goodbye to air leaking in and out and hello to a temperature regulated, energy efficient garage.
Weather Strip the Door Between Your House and Garage
Do you ever feel a breeze near the door that leads out to your garage? If so, then it’s time to upgrade and refresh your weather stripping. Any local hardware store carries weather stripping kits that make it easy to install on your door (or your windows).
Test out your door by turning on the lights in your garage and seeing if you can tell they’re turned on when standing on the other side of the door. This will tell you if you need to upgrade the bottom seal of the door, which you can do with a cost-effective draft stopper.
Seal the Cracks in Your Cement Garage Floor
Those cracks that you’ve dutifully ignored all this time are actually causing your garage to be extremely inefficient in terms of energy conservation. When the surface of poured cement is compromised by cracks, cold air and gases escape from the ground and into the garage’s space.
Things like the water and snow that leaks off of your car make matters more extreme, causing the cement to shift, expand, and contract. Your garage door could be affected and not be closing properly because of this. Seal the cracks early on to prevent these problems from becoming an expensive cost.
Small Changes Make Big Steps
It may seem like these small changes to your garage might not amount to much, but it’s a snowball effect. Once you start aiming for a greener, more energy efficient garage in these practiced habits, you’ll find that you’re saving more money and your garage is a much more pleasant environment to be in.
Your LED bulbs will last longer, your garage floor won’t be uneven, there’s no more draft coming through doors and windows, and a bonus, you’re energy bills are dramatically lower.
New Garage Improves Energy Efficiency
Your old garage is costing you a lot of money on energy bills and energy efficiency. All those years behind extreme weather and seasonal changes have depreciated the value of your garage. It’s no surprise that your old garage will feel drafty since the cracks are too difficult to seal.
For a long-lasting solution, you should go with a brand new detached garage. At Danley’s, we have built over 100,000 detached garages since 1959. We have custom garages of all sizes that will keep your garage insulated and energy efficient all year round. Speak to a specialist about our garages and get a free quote online today.
