As homeowners, we all want to do our part to help the environment. One way we can make a difference is by choosing eco-friendly options when renovating or building our homes. An often-overlooked area where we can go green is with our garage doors.
Traditional garage doors are often made of materials that aren’t great for the planet. Fortunately, there are now lots of eco garage door options available. Choosing one of these greener doors is an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and environmental impact.
In this article, I’ll explain what makes a garage door eco-friendly. I’ll go over the different environmentally friendly materials they can be constructed from. I’ll also provide tips on how to choose the best green garage door for your home and budget. Let’s get started!
What Makes a Garage Door Eco-Friendly?
So what exactly makes a garage door “eco-friendly” or “green”? Essentially, it comes down to two main factors:
- Materials used – The materials a garage door is constructed from should be sustainable, renewable, recyclable, and non-toxic. Green materials have less of an environmental impact over their lifecycle.
- Energy efficiency – An eco-friendly garage door is well-insulated and sealable to prevent air leaks. This increases energy efficiency and reduces your carbon footprint.
Environmentally friendly garage doors are designed to have minimal harm on the planet across their production, use, and end-of-life. By choosing greener materials and efficient construction, they have less of an ecological impact than traditional garage doors.
Eco-Friendly Garage Door Materials
Many different types of green materials can be used to construct eco garage doors. Let’s take a look at some of the most common options:
Wood
Wood is a renewable and biodegradable material that makes a great green garage door option. The key is to choose wood from sustainably harvested sources.
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified wood is the best door choice. This means it came from responsibly managed forests. Popular wood choices for eco garage doors include cedar, hemlock, pine, and redwood.
Recycled Aluminum
Aluminum is a durable and corrosion-resistant metal that can be recycled repeatedly. Choosing a garage door made from recycled aluminum reduces waste and saves energy. The production process for virgin aluminum is emissions-intensive.
Recycled aluminum only uses about 5% of the energy required to extract and smelt new aluminum. So it is an excellent eco-friendly option for garage doors.
Fibers
Natural fiber materials offer sustainability benefits and can insulate well. Common options include:
- Bamboo – Made from fast-growing bamboo grass, this material is renewable and biodegradable. Bamboo garage doors have a warm, natural look.
- Sorghum – This fibrous plant material makes durable and environmentally friendly garage doors. Sorghum is drought-resistant and requires little water to grow.
- Wheat straw – The stalks left over after wheat harvests can be turned into insulating garage door panels. This agricultural waste product is recycled into a useful green building material.
Steel
You might be surprised to hear that steel garage doors can also be eco-friendly. Look for doors made from recycled steel and enhanced with polyurethane foam insulation.
The recycled steel cuts back on mining impacts. The insulation means the door will have high energy efficiency and reduce your heating/cooling costs. An insulated steel garage door with thermal seals can have twice the R-value of conventional steel doors.
Plastic Composite
For a unique appearance, some green garage doors are crafted from recycled plastic composite. This blend of plastics and other recycled materials yields a durable, stain-resistant door that requires little maintenance.
Recycled plastic composite garage doors keep millions of plastic bottles out of landfills each year. And they don’t need to be painted or stained like wood doors.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Garage Doors
Why should you consider going green for your new garage door? Here are some of the benefits:
Lower Carbon Footprint
Choosing an eco-friendly garage door means fewer natural resources must be extracted and processed during manufacturing. Greener materials like wood, sorghum, and bamboo require less energy to produce than aluminum or steel. Recycled materials further reduce impacts.
Overall, a green garage door has a smaller carbon footprint over its lifetime. This results in less greenhouse gas emissions and lower ecological impact on the planet.
Energy Savings
Many eco-friendly garage doors are specially designed for energy efficiency. Added insulation, thermal seals, and other features minimize air leaks when the door is closed. This can reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.
An energy-efficient garage door improves the overall insulation envelope of your home. It also reduces demands on heating and cooling systems. This saves energy and lowers utility bills.
Lower Maintenance
Sustainably produced wood, fiberglass, and steel garage doors are inherently durable and weather-resistant. They hold up well over time with minimal maintenance required.
Green garage doors made from these resilient materials won’t warp, crack, or degrade quickly. This saves you time, money, and hassle on upkeep over the door’s lifetime.
Natural Aesthetic
Eco-friendly materials like wood, sorghum, and bamboo have an attractive natural grain and texture. This allows garage doors made from them to blend in well with homes that have an earthy character or rustic charm.
Wood and fiber doors with simple stained or painted finishes epitomize understated green elegance for a home exterior. Their organic good looks are hard to replicate with vinyl, aluminum, or steel.
Recycling Benefits
Choosing a recycled aluminum, steel, or plastic composite garage door keeps additional waste out of landfills. These eco-friendly doors transform recycled metals and plastics into durable long-lasting building products.
At the end of their usable lifespan, many green garage door materials can also be recycled again. This closes the loop and amplifies the environmental benefits.
Eco-Friendly Garage Door Costs
How do costs for green garage doors compare to conventional doors? Here are some general guidelines:
- Basic wood doors – Simple unfinished wood plank-style doors are affordable at $400 to $900 installed. These offer an eco-friendly appeal.
- Premium wood doors – High-end wood garage doors range from $1,500 to $4,000 installed. These are comparable in price to high-quality steel and aluminum doors.
- Steel and aluminum – Insulated recycled steel and aluminum doors cost $800 to $2,500 to install. Adding eco-friendly insulation may increase costs slightly over standard versions.
- Plastic composite – Durable recycled plastic doors cost about $1,200 to $4,000 to install depending on size and features. This is similar to mid-range to premium wood doors.
- Fiberglass – Doors made with sorghum or wheat straw typically range from $800 to $2,200 installed. Bamboo doors cost $1,500 to $3,000 installed.
With many eco-friendly garage doors, you don’t have to pay more to go green. Affordable options are available in most product categories. And energy savings from an insulated green door can offset a higher initial price over time.
Tips for Selecting an Eco-Friendly Garage Door
Here are some helpful tips if you’re looking to buy a green garage door:
- Seek out FSC-certified wood or look for recycled aluminum, steel, or plastic content. This ensures you get authentically eco-friendly materials.
- Prioritize energy efficiency – higher R-values mean more insulation and savings on energy bills. Look for polyurethane foam insulation in metal and fiberglass doors.
- Match your home’s aesthetics – think about house style and color schemes when selecting materials and finishes for your green garage door.
- Compare warranties – look for generous coverage of at least 10 years for the door itself and 1-2 years on paint and finishes. This ensures durability.
- Consider DIY vs pro install – eco-friendly doors are ideal for DIY installs. But for tricky retrofits, a professional can ensure proper fit and operation.
- Get referrals and reviews – check reviews and talk to neighbors to identify the most reputable local garage door companies that provide quality green options.
Taking some time to research and shop around for the perfect eco-friendly garage door will pay dividends for your home and the planet.
5 Top Eco Garage Door Brands
I’ll finish up by highlighting some well-known garage door brands that offer high-quality green options:
Clopay
With their Canyon Ridge Collection, Clopay provides durable, insulated steel and wood composite doors made with recycled and sustainable materials. They feature dent-resistant steel and natural woodgrain finishes.
Haas
Known for their precision German engineering, Haas manufactures sustainable naturally rot-resistant wood garage doors from responsibly harvested materials. Their Hemlock doors offer an eco-friendly choice.
CHI
CHI overhead doors are durable, reliable, and energy efficient. Their Enviro door line features triple-layer steel plus insulation made with recycled materials.
Safe-Way
This brand offers affordable, insulated steel garage doors that include at least 15% recycled content. Their Thermaguard options emphasize energy efficiency.
Hörmann
For a modern European-styled garage door, Hörmann uses sustainable materials like solid wood and steel with high PCR (post-consumer recycled) content. Their products offer lasting quality.
Conclusion
Choosing an eco garage door is one of the simplest ways to make your home a little greener. Sustainably sourced wood, recycled aluminum and steel, natural fibers, and plastic composite doors offer durability with a lower environmental impact.
Going green doesn’t have to bust your budget either. Affordable eco-friendly options are available, and energy savings can offset higher upfront costs over the door’s lifetime. With a wide selection of earth-friendly styles to match any home, it’s a smart choice for your garage. Just take care in selecting a door with genuinely sustainable materials rather than dubious “greenwashing” marketing claims.
Doing research and shopping around helps find the perfect green garage door for your particular needs. This eco upgrade can improve curb appeal, reduce energy use, and demonstrate your commitment to environmental responsibility. It’s a functional home project that’s truly good for the planet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are eco-friendly garage doors more expensive?
Not necessarily. Basic unfinished wood plank doors are reasonably priced. And many steel, aluminum, and fiberglass green doors are competitively priced with standard versions. Higher-end wood doors in premium materials cost more but are comparable to other upscale conventional doors.
How can you tell if a garage door is really eco-friendly?
Check that doors are made from FSC-certified wood, recycled aluminum/steel, natural fibers like bamboo or sorghum, or recycled plastic composite. Insulated doors with high R-values also maximize energy efficiency. Authentic green products will highlight their sustainable materials and attributes.
How much maintenance do eco-friendly garage doors need?
Minimal maintenance is required for most green garage doors. Durable construction and weather-resistant materials prevent warping, corrosion, degradation, and breakdown. At most, occasional minor upkeep like lubricating hinges may be needed.
What are the best eco-friendly replacements for wood garage doors?
Steel and fiberglass are excellent green alternatives to wood. Look for recycled steel doors with polyurethane insulation. Or opt for reinforced fiberglass with bamboo, sorghum, or wheat straw for sustainability. These materials offer durability without intensive resource demands.
How long will an eco-friendly garage door last?
It depends on materials and construction, but you can expect at least 15-20 years from a quality green garage door. With proper installation and maintenance, premium eco-friendly wood or reinforced fiberglass doors may even last 30 years or longer. Durability is a big advantage of green doors.
