Is Insulating Your Garage A Good Idea?

We often get questions, normally in Arizona’s peak summer/winter seasons, about garage insulation. “Will insulating my garage make it more comfortable?” “Will adding insulation to my garage save me money?” “Is it worth it?”

​Here at Green ID, we typically tell people that adding insulation to your garage is an unnecessary home upgrade. Adding insulation to your garage will not save you money on bills. Of course, if you have rooms bordering your garage or above it then that garage wall should be insulated.  Insulating the wall that separates the room and the garage will protect that room from being effected by the garage’s temperature. 
If insulating your garage is more about comfort and less about savings then we completely encourage it! If you’re one of those people who enjoys working in the garage then insulating the space might be a good idea. Insulating the garage will help you keep the warm or cool air inside without it escaping and being influenced by the outdoor temperature. Just be aware that that tempered air will escape immediately when the garage door is opened.

Some homeowners will insulate their garages during construction because they know that they’d eventually like to turn it into a bedroom years down the road. This is a fine idea as long as you’re using insulation that will not deplete over time like microfiber or spray foam. 

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After The Energy Audit...

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If you have an energy audit done for your house, feel free to give yourself a pat on the back. You just took the very first step to a more efficient and comfortable home. 

But it's not over yet! You may have been given small verbal updates on the state of your house during the audit, but the true results don't come in until later. You should have a follow-up appointment scheduled soon after the initial audit, where you will be able to see your audit report in-depth and be able to ask questions about it. This is where you might receive a list of possible fixes for the found inefficiencies in your home. 


​The next step is to make a plan! Write down what issues you want to prioritize, and what solutions you want to use on them. ​A good portion of the expected work might require professional touches. But don’t think you can’t do anything yourself. Some quick DIY fixes, along with the additional fixes your home might need, can have your AC running in tip-top shape even as the summer heat rages on outside. 

What is an Energy Audit?

Energy audits in Arizona are done to identify energy saving opportunities for home owners who want to lower their monthly bills, who are unsure what energy saving upgrades would be best for their home, who want to improve their health by cutting down on allergens and pollutants coming from the outdoors, and home owners who want an unbiased energy analysis and recommendations.

​An auditor will analyze your energy consumption and home performance by inspecting the layout of the home, its thermal envelope, air flow, and air leakage. This 41-point home energy audit will take into consideration any large appliances in the home as well as lifestyle factors when putting together your final report. This report put together by Green ID’s home-as-a-system inspection is a unique comprehensive action plan for how you can reduce the energy action in your home. This report will outline beneficial upgrades for your home, estimated costs, and payback periods.

Having a home energy audit can help with a variety of problems that you may be experiencing in your home whether it be hot/cold rooms, abnormally high energy bills, low air flow, noise control issues, and drafty rooms. Getting an energy audit can improve almost any home’s energy consumption unless it was designed specifically for energy efficiency.