Guide

Insulated Garage Doors in Arizona, and What the R Value Really Buys

Whether an insulated garage door is worth the money in the Phoenix Valley, what an R value means in practice, and what insulated doors cost fitted.

An insulated door is worth it if your garage is attached, shares a wall or ceiling with a room you use, or is a room you spend time in. It will not pay for itself in cooling on a detached garage. A 16 by 7 insulated door with windows is 2,650 dollars fitted against 1,800 for a basic one.

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What An R Value Is, In One Paragraph

R value measures how well a material resists heat moving through it. Higher is better. A bare single skin steel door is about R 0 to R 2 and is effectively a sheet of metal. A door with polystyrene panels is roughly R 6 to R 9. A door with polyurethane foamed into the sections is roughly R 12 to R 18, and it is also noticeably stiffer and quieter, because the foam bonds the two steel skins together.

The number on the sticker is measured across the panel, not across the whole opening. A door with a big glass row and a worn bottom seal does not perform like its sticker, which is why the seal and the fit matter as much as the panel.

The Question That Decides It

Is the garage attached to the house, and is there a room next to it or above it that somebody uses?

If yes, an insulated door is worth it, and not mainly for the cooling bill. It is worth it because the room on the other side of that wall stops being the room nobody sits in during the afternoon. A west facing garage in July radiates heat into the house for hours after sunset, and the door is the largest uninsulated surface on the whole building.

If the garage is detached, and it is storage rather than a space you use, an insulated door will not pay for itself in energy. Buy the basic door and spend the difference on high cycle springs and a tune up. We would rather sell you the cheaper door and have you call us in five years than talk you into a number you will not feel.

The Cases Where It Is Not Close

A bedroom, office or gym above the garage. The insulated door is the cheapest part of making that room usable in summer.
A garage you work in, or a gym. This is the one people underestimate most, and it is the change they notice within a week.
A west or south facing door taking full afternoon sun.
A bedroom sharing a wall with the garage, where the quieter door matters as much as the cooler one.
A single skin door that already rattles and flexes. The stiffness that comes with foam is a real improvement in how the door feels and sounds, separately from the temperature.

What It Costs Fitted

A 16 by 7 double door with no windows and no insulation is 1,800 dollars fitted. The same size with basic insulation and standard windows is 2,650. A single 8 by 7 is 1,250 basic and 1,650 insulated. Those are fitted prices and they include taking the old door away. Custom sizes, wood overlay, glass and HOA restricted designs are quoted after we look at the opening.

One thing to plan for: an insulated door is heavier than the door it replaces, so it needs springs matched to the new weight. That is part of a proper installation, not an extra we discover afterwards, and it is a reason to be careful with a very cheap quote on an insulated door.

The Cheap Version Of The Same Idea

If a new door is not this year's project, two smaller things get you a real part of the benefit. A bottom weather seal is 200 dollars on a double door and 125 on a single, assuming the retainer it slides into is sound, and it closes the gap that lets hot air and dust straight in under the door. And a tune up at 100 dollars includes checking the seals and the balance.

A sealed uninsulated door beats an insulated door with a two inch gap at the bottom. That is not a sales line, it is just how air works.

Answers

Questions People Ask About This

Will an insulated garage door lower my electricity bill?

On an attached garage next to rooms you use, you will feel the difference and it shows up modestly on the bill. On a detached storage garage it will not pay for itself. The honest reason to buy one is comfort in the rooms next to the garage.

What R value should I look for in Arizona?

A polyurethane door in roughly the R 12 to R 18 range is the useful bracket for an attached garage here. Polystyrene at R 6 to R 9 is a real improvement on a bare steel door and costs less.

How much is an insulated garage door fitted?

2,650 dollars for a 16 by 7 double with basic insulation and standard windows, and 1,650 for an 8 by 7 single insulated. Fitted, with the old door taken away.

Do I need new springs with an insulated door?

Yes. An insulated door is heavier, so it needs springs matched to the new weight. That is part of the installation, and a quote that does not account for it is a quote to be careful with.

If You Would Rather We Just Looked At It

This is what we do all day. Every job is priced on the price list, the service call is 35 dollars and it comes off the price if the work goes ahead, and you get the exact number on the phone before anyone is booked.

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