Green living is more than just a trend. All it takes is a decision to protect and preserve the Earth’s natural resources and habitats. Recycling, reducing waste, and maximizing energy efficiency are excellent examples of green living. These solutions may not be popular among your friends, but they are environmentally ethical and beneficial. While it may appear to be a lot of inconveniences, being green does not necessitate a major lifestyle change. Instead, going green entails making little but significant efforts to safeguard the planet’s health.
The garage might be the last thing on your mind when it comes to becoming green in your home. There are, however, ways to increase energy efficiency while lowering your environmental effect. So let us look at some ways that can encourage you that it is worth implementing a few sustainable adjustments to make your garage ecologically friendly.
Go Solar
The simplest and least expensive way to power your garage may be to install solar panels. Homeowners who install solar power systems can have numerous benefits, such as decreased electricity costs, smaller carbon footprints, and perhaps even higher property values. In addition, residential owners may now install an ecologically friendly system atop their garages thanks to improvements in solar panel technology and design. If your garages are on your property and far from your main house, installing solar panels is an excellent alternative for providing them with some lighting or electricity. The savings, however, could vary from home to the next and are typically accompanied by expensive installation and maintenance costs.
Add Windows
Although they are often excluded from garages, adding windows or skylights can help make your garage more environmentally friendly. Installing an energy-efficient window in your garage will let in more natural light. You might also invest in a garage door upgrade with windows to let more light into the garage. A garage that receives more natural light warms up on sunny winter days and reduces the need for electric lighting during the day. During summer, you may use black-out blinds to keep the interior cool.
Greener Roof
Your roof, like your driveway, can help you lower your carbon footprint. Here are a few simple ideas for using your garage’s roof to go greener:
- Collecting rainwater from your roof to use later to wash your automobile
- Creating a green or living roof
- Recycling your roof shingles
Insulate
Like a poorly insulated home, a poorly insulated garage lets cold in during the winter and retains heat during the summer. This temperature can spread throughout your home, especially if you have a garage adjacent to it, compromising your efforts to save energy. On the other hand, effective wall insulation means you save money by spending less money on heating.
Walls
Because garages are typically not heated or cooled, exterior walls do not require insulation. However, the interior of your home and the shared walls must have enough insulation to ensure that it complies with local building codes. Caulk cracks on all interior and exterior walls and apply drywall where there is more severe damage. In other cases, you might need to install more insulation before sealing the wall.
Windows
If the gaps surrounding your windows’ edges are not caulked or sealed, your garage’s insulation is compromised. And as a result, you will expend more energy trying to heat your home to a comfortable level. Make sure the insulation you choose is made of wool, cotton, aerogel, synthetic resin, or spray foam insulation. These materials are either renewable, have no environmental impact, or have a high R-value to leave the smallest possible environmental footprint.
Garage Floor
The concrete in your garage floor has undoubtedly seen better days if you have not upgraded it with a nice garage floor coating. Concrete is prone to cracks and allows heat and air to escape. In garages, gaps between the floor and the walls can be a substantial source of heat loss.
Caulking between the floor and the walls is a cost-effective solution to insulate your garage and increase energy efficiency. However, a better approach is to have a baseboard coating on the lower portion of your garage’s walls that matches the floor finish.
Garage Door
Keep the outside weather out of your garage door opening by using weatherstripping or a garage door threshold seal. Doing so will help keep the temperature of your garage closer to that of your home, reducing the amount of time you spend using your heating and cooling system. It would be best if you also inspected the perimeter of your garage door for any wider fractures or gaps. Tighten any loose screws if the garage door does not stay flush against the vinyl side seals. If that doesn’t work, consider adding extra weatherstripping or brush seals. It is also a good idea to periodically change your weatherstripping to ensure it remains in good condition.
Green Means Go
The color ‘green’ indicates that you should proceed. As homeowners, you can take as little or as much time as possible to make your garage greener. We have provided you with some suggestions for both long-term projects and short-term fixes, as well as chances for ongoing development toward sustainability throughout your home’s garage. So, whether you opt to install solar roof panels, add insulation to your garage doors, or practice rainwater collection systems, as long as you follow your ideals to save the Earth, nothing will go wrong.
Thinking of ways to make your garage greener?
While you may not do all the above actions at once, now is the perfect time to make little changes in your garage and home. Considering garage door insulation is an excellent way to start.
Palms Garage Doors, a garage door company that has proven to provide a comprehensive range of garage door services—from garage door insulation, garage door installation, garage door repair, and garage door replacement, is here to guide you in the greener process. We offer our valued clients a large selection of premium insulated garage doors for homes and businesses as well. We are serving the Greater Bay Area, from San Francisco to San Jose, and up to Oakland. Turn only to the best garage door company at Palms Garage Doors. Call right away for free estimates!
