As technology continues to allow us to live comfortably while reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, more and more homeowners are turning their attention to their homes to play their part in protecting our planet. While many of us have already contributed by installing solar panels and smart appliances, there's always more to be done, and it's time to start paying attention to every room in our home, including our garage. Whether it's reducing your energy bills or reducing your carbon footprint, investing the time and effort to make your garage more energy efficient will definitely pay off in the long run. Here's how to get started:
Einangraðu bílskúrinn þinn
The mistake many homeowners make is neglecting to insulate their garage walls, not realizing that the long-term heating and cooling bills far outweigh the money saved when building the garage. While we've covered the benefits of insulating your garage door and how to inspect and replace your garage door seal, if you want the most energy efficient garage possible, you need to properly insulate your garage. This includes insulating walls and sealing any cracks or spaces that could leak energy or light — especially around doors and windows.
Uppfærðu innstungur, perur og rofa
Energy-efficient technology is advancing at an alarming rate, and it's likely that it has advanced significantly since your garage was built. The same energy-saving techniques we use at home also work in our garage, so consider updating your old incandescent light bulbs with more energy-efficient LEDs. Although a bit pricey, LED lights consume 80 percent less energy than standard bulbs and generally last longer. While you're at it, consider swapping out your manual light switches for automatic switches or sensors to make forgetting to turn off the lights (and wasting energy) a thing of the past.
Að velja réttu bílskúrshurðina
If you still have an old wooden garage door or thin metal non-insulated door, you will lose significant warmth through it. If you have an attached garage or a heated garage, the heat loss is equivalent to money out the door. Considering our long, cold Canadian winters, it pays to replace old garage doors with highly insulated doors. The cost is much lower than most people think, and it may save you money in the long run. Two benefits are that it makes your garage and home more comfortable, and provides a nice update to the look of your home. If you're interested, or you just want to see what a newer garage door looks like, browse through our selection of garage doors to learn more.
Að velja réttan bílskúrshurðaopnara
Choosing the right electric garage door opener can also improve the energy efficiency of your garage. This is especially true if you've updated your garage door to a newer model but keep the same opener. Consider replacing it with a newer, more energy-efficient corkscrew to save on electricity bills. Check out our selection of economical and energy-efficient garage door openers to learn more. As a bonus, newer corkscrews are generally safer and offer convenience features that weren't available a few years ago.
Skipuleggja og skipuleggja
In addition to keeping your garage more organized, decluttering your garage can minimize the chance of rodents and other pests getting in. While this doesn't directly improve energy efficiency, rodents and pests have been known to bite through insulation, making your garage less energy efficient down the line. Plus, having a tidy garage means you can more easily spot and work on any areas that lack insulation, rather than spending the weekend moving things out of the way to seal cracks.
