Many homes are well insulated to protect their ability to keep heat inside in the winter and cold air from escaping in the summer. As well insulated as these homes are, however, a great deal of them are “leaving the door open” letting the heat and cold air out! If you think about it, insulating an entire home will hold all the air in, but if you open one door to the outside world, all of that air will escape (and outside temperatures will invade the home through the same path.

I know what your thinking, why would people leave a door open? Well the door they left “unguarded” is the garage door! You may not think about this but just about all the air in the home can eventually make its way out to the garage via the ceiling and attic areas. If your garage door insulation is not present, or is minimal, ineffective, or even installed incorrectly- this becomes the “open door” in your home!

You can save hundreds of dollars a year in heating and cooling bills simply by purchasing and installing garage door insulation. There are many kits on the market that make doing it yourself easy, economical, and even fun! Unlike your normal house wide insulation, garage door varieties are easy and quick (and cheap in comparison!).

You can do your homework online using Google to research your particular garage door. Once you’ve established your particular model, the next thing to figure out is what kind of insulation you want. There are many to choose from. Some kits install on both sides of the garage door (i.e. a reflective coating on the outside to bounce the suns rays off the door completely, as well as bubble foam coating to insulate the heat from entering the garage.

What you don’t know, or what you don’t insulate, can definitely cost you money. In today’s economy it may be harder to generate more money to offset your expenses, but there are many great ways to save money (which is like earning more actually). Garage door insulation is a vital component in your insulating construct- don’t take this for granted!

Many families use the garage door more than the front door. Armfuls of groceries and the kid’s bikes and toys all go in through them. The potential for an accident is high with so much activity swirling around. That is why garage door safety needs to be a priority in every household.

The first question homeowners need to ask is how old is the door and opener? If it’s over 10 years old is due for an inspection by a qualified specialist. The specialist will test the springs for any weakness, inspect the opener, and track system for any signs of wear and tear. The homeowner should never attempt to adjust the springs or tension devices. The components are under a great deal of tension, and serious injury can occur.

Safety is Everyone’s Concern

As a homeowner, there are tests that can be conducted to test the safety. First off, if it does not have a reversing feature it is recommended that it be replaced. New safety regulations require all new installations have this feature. To test the feature place a block of wood under it as it closes. The door should bump the wood and immediately reverse its self. This feature prevents anyone from being crushed under it. If your door has reversing sensors, the way to test them is to pass something in front of the sensor as it closes. The door should immediately reverse itself. These sensors prevent someone from ducking under the door as it closes, preventing personal injury. It is recommended that sensors be installed if the door does not have them. Sensors can be installed after the initial installation.

All garage doors have a manual feature to disengage the door from the tracks if the opener malfunctions, the door can be disengaged and operated manually. Homeowners can use this feature if they feel there may be a problem with the door opener. The button to operate them from inside the garage should be mounted high enough to prevent small children from operating it. Five foot up from floor level is the recommended height for most situations. Make sure the door opener button is not mounted near steps where children can use the steps to access the button. The button to operate the door should be within sight of the garage door. It is important anyone operating the door is able to see if any pets or children are playing near the door.

To insure garage door safety do not leave the garage door remote where children have access. Many homeowners have a keypad installed doing away with the need for a remote control. Homeowners should properly secure remote controls that are no longer needed. Homeowners need to remember that the garage door is the biggest door in their home, and many times the most used entrance and exit.

Garage Door Safety Tips for Safety and Security:

Check the garage door manual to see if the opener has rolling codes. In other words, is the code random every time the garage door is activated? If the code is fixed the code can be captured by certain devices, and used to operate the door. Codes can be changed or upgrade the door opener and or remote control.

Remotes left in a vehicle can be stolen along with the vehicle giving someone access to the home. Homeowners that expect to be away for any extended period should unplug their door opener; this removes any possibility of the door being opened. Make sure your door can be locked if the door is manually operated.