Let’s face it, Midwest weather can be unpredictable. One day it’s warm with a light drizzle of rain, and then the next day you find yourself shoveling away inches of snow and ice from your driveway and walkways. With swings in temperatures like this, it’s important to maintain energy efficiency in your home. And one of the first steps you can take is reducing the loss of heat through your garage.

As your go-to experts in garage door installation in Cincinnati, NationServe has gathered information on the ways your garage can lose heat during those Midwest winter months and how you can improve your garage’s energy efficiency.

WHY ARE YOU LOSING HEAT?

If your attached garage and its garage door are not insulated, you are certainly losing some heat through your garage. This is why it makes sense to buy insulated garage doors in Cincinnati and other cities in the Northeast and Midwest like Peoria, Akron, and Davenport, especially when you consider that NationServe carries a variety of well-insulated Wayne Dalton garage doors in steel and fiberglass that are affordable in themselves and have the potential to generate some savings on your energy costs.

If you already have a well-insulated door, and you want to improve the energy efficiency of your home, make sure to check whether the garage door is closing properly. Open doors equal heat loss! If the door is not coming all the way down, or if it is not level, you should call NationServe to have your garage door opener inspected and adjusted. If you want to shop for new, next generation garage door openers in Cincinnati or other cities throughout the US, visit your nearest NationServe showroom. Many new Genie and LiftMaster garage door openers come with handy smart technology so you can close your garage door with your phone whether you’re across the street or across town.There are other possible causes for heat loss from your garage, and homeowners who are serious about making their homes as energy efficient as possible should also check:

• Weather-stripping – Make sure that your weather-stripping isn’t broken. Weather-stripping is used on the door between your house and the garage, garage windows, and any doors in the garage that lead to the outside.
• Wall and ceiling insulation – Check the insulation in your garage. Usually the wall between your garage and house is insulated, but that isn’t always the case in older homes. You may also want to consider insulating the exterior walls.
• Cracks in your garage floor – A crack in your garage floor is usually caused by the concrete slab shrinkage. Cracks not only allow bugs and other pests to crawl in but helps warm air escape, reducing your garage’s energy efficiency.

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Now that you know what is causing your garage’s heat loss, you can begin planning the appropriate solution:

• New garage door installation – Energy efficiency starts at the purchasing stage. While you may be able to customize an older garage door to be more energy efficient, the old door’s R-value simply won’t be able to top that of a brand new garage door. If you choose the comfort and potential energy savings of a new, insulated garage door, NationServe can provide professional garage door installation in Cincinnatiand other cities throughout the Midwest like Peoria and Davenport.
• Window and door frame sealing – Whether they’re new or old, sealing the frames around garage windows and doors can help reduce heat loss.
• Energy efficient lighting – Consider installing timers on the lights that illuminate the entrances to your garage. With timers, you never have to worry about forgetting to turn them off.
• Garage repairs and maintenance – Repairing insulation, weather-stripping, and garage floor cracks can help boost your garage’s overall energy efficiency.

EXTEND YOUR LIVING SPACE BY INSULATING YOUR GARAGE & GARAGE DOOR

For homeowners in the Midwest, an insulated garage with an insulated garage door has significant benefits. For example, if you use your garage as the laundry area, office space, home gym, home office, craft room, or a kid’s playroom, you will certainly want the garage to be heated like any other space in your home. Even during the summer, a temperature-controlled garage can keep humidity in check to protect your more sensitive belongings, like art, family heirlooms, and photos, while they are in storage.

Even if your garage is only used for parking vehicles, you should keep in mind that the temperature of your garage can also affect the temperature of the rooms connected to it. An insulated garage door contributes to keeping temperatures steady, preventing cold spots in the rooms above and adjacent to the garage. This is especially important if the room above your garage is a bedroom and not attic space.