It’s amazing how much money the words “good enough” can cost homeowners these days.
That weather sealing around that window is worn, but it’s good enough for now. That extension cord isn’t certified, but it’s good enough for the garage. That garage door is old and ugly, but it’s good enough to get by.
That last statement may actually be the most costly. An old garage door may have a certain charm in its rugged appearance (or it could just be ugly), but it is actually costing you money as we speak, and may cost you even more.
If you’re looking to replace that old garage door “sooner or later,” here is why it should be sooner.
Low R-Value, Low Insulation, High Cost
If you’re using an old garage door with a low (or nonexistent) R-value, you’re energy bill money is literally leaking out into the driveway. It could be leaking out of cracks or holes, or because your door doesn’t make a tight seal when it closes.
How much difference can an insulated garage door make?
An R-18 insulated garage door can keep your garage:
- Up to 12 degrees warmer in winter months
- Up to 25 degrees cooler in summer months
This will obviously represent huge savings on your utility bills.
But, you may say, “Well, it’s not a big deal for us. We don’t really spend any time in the garage.” Even if you’re not using the garage as a living area or workspace, you’re going to have a hard time controlling the temperature in any rooms that share a wall with the garage.
Low or No Security
Your old garage door is more than likely not doing a “good enough” job of protecting your home from would-be thieves.
Too many people don’t consider the fact that if someone can open your garage door, they can more than likely gain access to your entire home. And what if they can do it with the push of a button?
Right now, we’re seeing a lot of thieves using the garage door remote in people’s cars to break into the house. Leaving your car parked in the driveway, with the opener between your seats or on the overhead visor, is pretty close to leaving a spare set of house keys in the open.
This is another reason why now is a great time for an upgrade. Today’s modern garage door openers are Wi-Fi enabled and you can control them with a mobile app. There are lots of amazing home tech gadgets that are designed to improve the functionality of your home.
This means you can open and close the door using your smartphone, leaving the opener inside your house and out of any thief’s reach. You can also check to make sure you remember to lock your garage and even lock it remotely from the office or when you’re out of town.
You can also get notified whenever the door opens or closes, which will let you know when the kids get home safely, or someone is trying to gain access to your home.
Have you had enough of “good enough?” Your home deserves better. Why not take this weekend to look for a new, secure, and energy-efficient garage door and opener? It will save you more money than you think.
