With a rise in global warming, people across the globe have been considering sustainable practices for renovating their homes. The main idea behind this is to reduce our environmental footprint.
When we talk about sustainable homes, garage doors might be the last thing we can think of. However, eco-conscious garage door maintenance can play a significant role in keeping our planet green.
Explore this article to learn eco-friendly strategies for repairing a garage door and follow them to prove yourself a responsible citizen.
Use Recycled Materials for Your Garage Door
Aluminum and steel are two common materials used for garage doors. Both are eco-friendly and can be easily recycled. Proper insulation can increase the efficiency of aluminum or steel doors.
In addition, when searching for materials for garage door repair, consider items made from recycled stuff. Try to contact manufacturers that promote environmental sustainability during the production process.
Increase Energy Efficiency with Proper Insulation Techniques
Properly insulated garage doors significantly increase energy efficiency. They protect your HVAC system from extra strain, lowering your energy bills and carbon footprint.
A well-insulated and weatherproofed home does not allow conditioned air to escape and reduces your dependence on heating and cooling systems. Therefore, choose a garage door with a high insulation R-value to minimize heat transfer.
Install Windows in your Garage Door
Installing windows in your garage door not only allows natural light to illuminate your home but it also minimizes energy consumption by keeping you from relying on artificial lighting during the day. In addition, it improves ventilation throughout your home and increases its aesthetic appeal.
Therefore, consider installing low-emissivity, double-glazed, or triple-glazed windows in your garage door. Consider using eco-friendly materials like composite wood or aluminum for garage door windows.
Install High-Quality Weather Stripping in your Garage Door
Remove the old, worn-out weatherstripping on your door frame and bottom. Instead, install high-quality weatherstripping made from recycled materials. You can easily purchase it from a local hardware shop.
Ensure Timely Maintenance for Longevity
Sustainability and longevity are intertwined. Conduct regular inspections to ensure adequate maintenance of your garage door. Keep cleaning and lubricating the moving parts of your garage door. This approach can save your door from premature replacements and help minimize the environmental impact associated with them.
Investing in a good quality garage door at the time of purchase has numerous benefits, such as:
- Effective Waste Management: It can save you from frequent replacement, thereby minimizing waste and reducing resource consumption.
- Cost-Effectiveness: Not needing to buy garage door parts frequently can save you the money that you would otherwise spend on garage door repair.
Repurpose Old Garage Door Parts in Upcycling Projects
Planning to buy a new garage door? Investing in new things is good, but instead of throwing away the old pieces, try to upcycle them into something unique and stylish.
Upcycling allows you to reduce your environmental footprint with effective waste management. Use your garage door for creative DIY projects to enhance your home style and save your environment. Have a look at some innovative DIY garage door ideas:
- Convert it into a customized dining table.
- Create a bookshelf out of your garage door.
- Upgrade your patio by building a bench out of your garage door.
- Elevate your bedroom aesthetics by repurposing your door as a headboard.
Choose the Right Paint for your Door
The paint on your garage door also has an ecological impact. Try opting for lighter colors in hot weather as they reflect heat, thereby creating a cooler space. A cooler garage translates to the reduced need for air conditioning systems.
In addition, choose water based paints for your garage door because they have a lower amount of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) as compared to other alternatives. Low-VOC paints improve the indoor air quality and contribute towards a greener and healthier environment.
Moreover, they enhance your doors lifespan by protecting it against harsh weather conditions and corrosion. Last but not the least, they enhance your door’s visual appeal.
Prefer Repair Over Replacement
Although replacement seems to enhance your door’s longevity, we recommend you prefer repairing your garage door instead of getting it replaced. The latter has numerous benefits such as:
- It is a cost-effective solution to quickly resolve specific problems, restoring the functionality of your door without needing full replacement.
- Repair helps in sustainable waste management by generating a lesser amount of waste as compared to replacement and helps conserving the resources.
However, if repair cannot address the problem, you should go for garage door replacement. For example, you might need to replace your door in case of structural failure due to corrosion or warped panels.
Use Power Saving Garage Door Openers
Using energy-efficient garage door openers is a sustainable practice that reduces your environmental footprint. Modern door openers come with a standby power reduction feature that reduces standby power consumption when you’re not using it. Some openers also feature:
- Low-power settings
- Automatic sleep mode
- Automatic closing timers
- Geofencing capability that keeps the door from being left open accidentally
In addition, purchasing an opener with a battery backup system not only reduces the need for a gasoline-powered generator, but also facilitates you during power outages. Solar-powered garage door openers can be a good option in this regard.
Install a Green Garage Roof
Consider installing a green roof on your garage. Going green is always the ebst solution for saving your planet! Green roof also known as a vegetation roof or a sedum roof, protects the seal of your garage roof and protects it from rainwater.
It not only favors environmental stability by serving as a habitat for plants and animals but also gives a relief to your home’s drainage system by reducing the risk of flooding. In addition, it preserves the microclimate i-e; the climate of the small region in which you are residing.
Conclusion
Adopting sustainable practices for repairing your garage door can be helpful in saving Earth. Therefore, purchase garage door manufactured from recyclable materials for your home. Secondly, improve your home’s energy efficiency by properly insulating your garage door and further dealing it with eatherstripping and low-VOC paints.
Using solar-powered door openers also improves power-efficiency. Lastly, schedule regular garage door inspections to ensure its longevity as it ultimately decreases waste generation by reducing the need for frequently replacing door parts. Even if you get your door replaced, consider using it for a DIY recycling project.
