An insulated garage door is a smart upgrade in Ontario’s climate because it keeps your garage and adjoining rooms warmer in winter, cooler in summer and quieter year‑round, while also improving door strength and longevity compared to a non‑insulated door. Clopay’s Intellicore insulated garage doors are a strong example, using dense polyurethane foam to deliver high R‑values, noise reduction and added structural rigidity.
Ontario winters bring long stretches of freezing temperatures, so a non-insulated steel door acts almost like an open cold panel on the side of your home, letting heat escape and cold radiate into the garage. If your garage is attached to your home, that cold seeps into adjacent spaces like mudrooms, bedrooms over the garage, and even main living areas, forcing your furnace to work harder. In summer, the reverse happens. The metal heats up, turning the garage into an oven that can warm nearby rooms and make cooling less efficient.
A non-insulated door is typically constructed as a single layer of steel, with cupped steel at the top and bottom that can create pockets where moisture, dirt, and salt accumulate. Over time, this buildup can lead to deterioration of the door and the formation of rust.
This thin layer or steel transfers outside temperatures directly through the panel. You can feel this by touching the inside of the door on a very hot or very cold day.
Insulated doors feature either polystyrene insulation or pressure-injected polyurethane foam between the outer and inner layers of steel. This significantly reduces heat transfer and helps maintain a more consistent garage temperature throughout all seasons. This improved thermal performance can reduce drafts into the house and contribute to lower heating and cooling costs over time, especially when the garage is frequently used.
Clopay’s Intellicore technology uses injected polyurethane foam that expands to completely fill the door’s interior cavity, rather than just placing a piece of foam between the outer and inner layers of steel. This dense pressure injected foam creates some of the highest residential garage door R‑values available, with certain Intellicore models reaching about R‑18.4 to R‑20+, which is well suited for cold regions like Ontario. Because the foam bonds to the steel, the door sections become more rigid and impact‑resistant, helping them better resist dents, warping and everyday wear than non‑insulated or polystyrene‑insulated doors of similar thickness.
Non-insulated garage door windows let cold air causing condensation and frost buildup, leading to moisture, rust, mold risk and poor visibility.
Insulated windows complement an insulated garage door, eliminating cold spots, reducing frost, and keeping the garage drier and warmer. Together, they create a comfortable, efficient garage for Ontario’s harsh seasons.
With an insulated Intellicore door, the inside of the garage feels noticeably more comfortable, making it a better place for hobbies, home gyms, workshops or kids’ play areas even on very cold or hot days. The dense foam also dampens vibration and sound, so activities like opening and closing the door, music or tool noise are significantly quieter compared to a hollow, non‑insulated door. This noise reduction is especially valuable in Stouffville and Uxbridge suburbs where homes are close together and bedrooms may sit above or beside the garage.
Because insulated doors with the Clopay Intellicore construction are stronger and less prone to damage, they tend to look better longer and require fewer repairs or replacements over their lifespan. The combination of improved energy efficiency, comfort, noise control, and durability makes an insulated Intellicore door a high‑value upgrade over a non‑insulated door for most Ontario homeowners, particularly those with attached garages or living spaces above them. If you’re updating your garage door in Stouffville or Uxbridge, choosing a Clopay Intellicore door from Stouffville Garage Doors aligns well with the local climate and offers benefits you’ll notice every season.
