Green Garage Door Materials For Your Sustainable Home
If you are trying to meet LEED standards, GBI standards, or another set of sustainable building standards, then you need to be sure to scrutinize every material you use in your home. Not only should the materials you use be energy-efficient, but they should also be sustainably sourced and cause little to no environmental damage during their manufacturing processes.
When it comes to garage doors, aluminum and vinyl are popular among North American homeowners because they are inexpensive. However, these materials are not very energy-efficient or sustainably sourced. For a more sustainable garage door that will help you satisfy green building requirements, opt for one of these materials.
Wood
Natural wood is a very eco-friendly choice for your garage door. Not only is wood a renewable resource, but it creates minimal pollutants during its manufacturing process. To ensure it's as earth-friendly as possible, you can buy a natural, unstained wooden garage door and then stain or paint it yourself with VOC-free products. You can also find wooden garage doors that have been pre-treated with VOC-free stains or paints, but these can be quite costly.
Wood is also a natural insulator, so your garage door should be pretty energy-efficient. Just make sure the design includes a gasket along the bottom of the door to prevent air from leaking in underneath it. Wood is a stylish choice, especially for many traditional homes, and it's really the only good choice if you want to create an authentic cabin-like look.
Bamboo
Bamboo is another natural, renewable resource. Since it grows much faster than wood, it can be harvested and replanted even more quickly — so many experts consider it to be even more earth-friendly than wood. Since it is so lightweight, it is also easier to transport and results in less fuel consumption. Just make sure the bamboo you buy is ethically sourced, since bamboo that is harvested in foreign countries is not always associated with the best labor practices.
Bamboo garage doors can be styled to look almost like wooden doors. The untrained eye won't even know your door is not made from wood. Plus, since bamboo is light, you don't have to invest in the most powerful garage door opener, either. The one downfall to bamboo is that it is not an amazing insulator on its own. However, garage door companies can back it with some cotton insulation to help reduce heat transfer, thus allowing you to meet green building standards.
Wood Composite
Wood composite is a mixture of wood pulp and plastic resin. Though this may not sound like the most earth-friendly product right off the bat, composite can be very green as long as it is made with recycled products. And many composite manufacturers do mostly use wood scraps and recycled plastics. The materials used to make composite would otherwise be sent to a landfill, so by buying this material and creating a demand for it, you are helping to reduce waste.
Wood composite is typically textured to look like real wood. It's a good insulator and resistant to cracking, so you should not have a problem with air leaks. Composite is not prone to rot or termite damage, and it does not require nearly as much maintenance as real wood. You do not have to scrape, stain, or paint it. The main downfall is the price. You will often pay more for a composite door than for a wooden or bamboo one.
To learn more about these three sustainable materials used to make garage doors, reach out to a garage door company in your area. They can give you estimates for all three, which should greatly help you make your decision.
