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Do I need an Insulated Overhead Sectional Garage Door?

November 6, 2019

The concept of an energy-efficient overhead sectional garage door is not at all new and depending on factors like your project’s environment, budget and time constraints there are a variety of options available. However, the question of whether you need to have an insulated overhead sectional garage door on your home or commercial building should be answered before you invest in a product.

When Should I Invest in an Insulated Overhead Sectional Garage Door?

Is an Insulated overhead sectional garage door needed for my project?Whether or not a project warrants an insulated overhead sectional garage door depends on the needs and requirements of the application, project location, and final user.

Applications where the area behind the overhead sectional garage door will be used for living space, office space, or recreational space will most likely desire energy efficiency in the garage door. Especially if the space is conditioned with heat and/or air conditioning. Applications like this include living rooms, commercial or private offices, restaurants, studios, and playrooms. Since a sectional garage door is designed to move with hinged sections, no product will be airtight. That being said, insulating the glass, panel and door extrusions will help minimize heat loss better than a non-insulated product would.

Some areas of the country require specific energy requirements from particular building materials. Overhead sectional garage doors are not always exempt from these building code requirements. In the case of building codes, it is local, state, or federal requirements that dictate the need for an insulated product, not the building owner. Where building codes are in play it is important to know what requirements the overhead sectional garage door needs to meet before an investment or decision is made on a final product. Typical requirements may call out a U-factor, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) and/or Visible Light Transmission (VT). Be sure to have these values handy when researching a garage door product to ensure the product you choose meets those requirements.

Where the need for insulation is a desire rather than a requirement, particularly for residential applications such as detached garages, budget is often the deciding factor. First and foremost the project’s budget should take into account the cost of an insulated product vs. a non-insulated product. Insulated garage doors will always cost more than their non-insulated counterparts. Homeowners and business owners that are not required to install an insulated overhead sectional garage door should always consider and know their budget prior to researching a product.

If you have any questions regarding ArmRLite’s options for insulated overhead sectional garage doors please feel free to contact us.

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