What are the Key Factors to Understand When Replacing your Garage Door?
When replacing your garage door, knowing these factors will help you choose one that you’ll be very satisfied with within the years ahead. There is a wide range of garage doors currently available, in different materials, grades, styles, and prices.
Choose a Style that Matches your Home
There are 3 basic styles available today. The most common is the overhead sectional garage door. The door is installed in sections or panels on steel rails, with torsion springs that assist in lifting the door. Sectional garage doors can be operated manually or with a garage-door opener.
The second style, once more popular than now, is the single-panel door that raises straight up and out. These are mostly single-car garage models that operate with a counter-weight.
The most stylish look in garage doors is the carriage-house design dual doors that swing outward in a single panel. A modification of this is that the doors each have a hinge, producing a bi-fold design. Either way, they give a home an impressive look. Carriage-style garage doors are a great fit for classically designed homes for upscale homes with natural wood, stone or brick exteriors.
Decide How Much Maintenance you Can Tolerate
Wood garage doors, either sectional overhead or carriage-style offer superior looks. There is no argument about that. The problem is that they are also high-maintenance. Steel doors, also available in sectional and carriage styles, are quite low maintenance.
If you choose wood, plan on staining/sealing every few years. A steel door will stand up much better to the elements, though you’ll need to watch for scratches and touch them up to avoid corrosion.
As a sign of the maintenance level for these garage doors, wood doors have short limited warranties, some as short as one year. Steel garage door warranties are typically at least 5 years, but doors with 10-year and lifetime warranties are available. Both types of doors can last 15-20 years, possibly more, but maintenance is the key to longevity.
Choose an Insulated Door for Heated/Cooled Garages
If you heat or cool your garage maybe use it as a workshop or enjoy working on your own cars then choosing an insulated door makes very good sense. There are basically 4 options: Single layer and most two-layer doors are not insulated.
Three-layer and four-layer doors do contain insulation. The best-insulated garage doors use more than 1 of foam insulation and have an R-Value of 17. The difference in energy use and cost between a non-insulated garage door and one with a high R-Value will be significant.
Consider your Budget
As you might expect, wood garage doors are the most costly. Prices start at about $1,000, though most are in the $1,500-$3,000 realms and some are far more expensive than that.
A quality steel door can be purchased for $850-$2,500 depending on the style and size you need. It’s worth noting that in terms of quality, as with most home construction products, you generally get what you pay for.
Summary
Put these factors together as you decide on your next garage door. They’ll guide your choice and help you select a garage door that will give you the style and performance you desire in the years ahead.
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