Going green is the big trend these days in home improvement. Can you buy a green garage door for your home? Yes, you can and here is what to look for when doing so. 

The green building movement is all about recognizing the price our lifestyles have on the surrounding environment. We’ve long been incredibly wasteful and inefficient in the structures we’ve built. Green building technique seek to counter that by using sustainable materials to build components that are very energy efficient while not being harmful to the environment. A green garage door incorporates these very aspects. 

When shopping for a green garage door, the first thing to consider is the insulation factor. Garage doors have traditionally consisted of simple, thin slats and don’t particularly have a tight fit to the surrounding frames. You know the effect on the garage. For temperature purposes, you might as well have no door at all. There is no insulation effect. A green garage door changes this. It should be a fully insulated door that will keep cold and hot temperatures out respectively. Look for an “R” value on the door. The higher the value, the better the insulation. 

The materials are the second issue to look at. Ideally, you want a recycled material that was originally a low impact substance. A classic example would be wood that has been recycled. That being said, practically any recycled substance will work just find. This can include things like steel, plastic composites and even vinyl. 

The third issue to consider is the door fitting. The greenest door in the world isn’t going to accomplish much if there are gaps around the edge between the door and frame. Air will rush in and out as the temperature equalizes. This will ultimately run up your utilities as the wall between the garage and interior of the home is rarely insulated as well as it should be. Look for doors that have filler stops to seal these areas.

If you are ready to join the green revolution, good for you. Your garage door is as good a place to start as any. Even better, most green garage doors will last much longer than traditional versions and that saves you money in the long run.