Key Takeaways
- Significance of Garage Door Purchase: Buying a new garage door is a significant investment, impacting safety, security, and curb appeal. It’s crucial to make an informed decision given its long-lasting nature.
- Materials Matter: Various materials like wood, steel, aluminum, glass, and wood composite offer different benefits and aesthetics. Consider factors like durability, maintenance, and climate suitability when choosing.
- Styles for Every Home: Different styles, including traditional, contemporary, and carriage house, cater to various architectural designs and personal preferences.
- Additional Considerations: Upgrading garage door openers, considering insulation for energy efficiency, ensuring proper sizing, sticking to budget constraints, selecting windows, and understanding garage door parts and technology are all vital aspects.
- Professional Installation: While DIY installation is possible, it’s recommended to opt for professional installation for safety, warranty adherence, and efficient completion.
- Emphasizing Professionalism: The article provides a contact number for professional assistance, underlining the importance of expert guidance in selecting and installing a new garage door.
Most garage doors last for almost 30 years before needing to be replaced, so when the time comes for a new garage door, homeowners have some important choices to make.
Buying a new garage door may seem like a straightforward investment, but it’s one of the biggest, most significant home renovation decisions you’ll ever make. You want to be sure you are making the right decision because your garage door is one of the most used appliances in your house and it affects safety, security, and your home’s curb appeal.
It could be time to think about an upgrade if you’ve realized that your garage needs constant repairs or is starting to appear a little worn out and outdated. Buying a new garage door is not difficult, but there are a few things to consider before making the purchase.
Here are some things to think about and a few tips for purchasing a new garage door if you’re not sure what to look for or what questions to ask while looking for a new garage door.
Garage Door Service DMV has put together this garage door buying guide to make sure you know everything you need to know before selecting the ideal model for your requirements.
A New Garage Door Is a Big Purchase
A new garage door is a very significant purchase for your home, so bear that in mind before delving into the various alternatives and tips for buying a new garage door. If you’re buying a new garage door for your freshly built house or place of business, or replacing an outdated, broken one, you want a new garage door to be the ideal blend of style and functionality. The purchasing procedure is made even more serious by this.
A new garage door for your home would probably cost you between $600-$3700, according to Garage Door Service DMV. If you have a new garage door built and maintained properly by reliable professionals, it might last for decades or the lifetime of the home. You’ll soon realize how important it is to have a safe, high-quality garage door when you consider how often your garage door is opened and closed or used overall. This emphasizes how crucial it is to deal with a professional when buying a new garage door.
Also, you should think about getting a garage door that complements your home’s architecture and design. A new door performs more functions than only protecting and opening the access to your garage. It contributes significantly to your home’s curb appeal. The garage door is usually clearly displayed in most homes so that people walking by on the sidewalk or street can see it. Therefore, it makes sense to want a garage door that complements the general style and color scheme of your home and looks stylish.
Garage Door Material to Consider
A variety of common materials are used to make garage doors. Remembering that certain materials perform better in specific climates than others is crucial. Typically, garage doors are constructed from the following kinds of materials:
- Wood
- Steel
- Aluminum
- Glass
- Wood Composite
Every variety of garage door material has a distinct set of benefits and drawbacks. When selecting a material for your new garage door, you should consider your lifestyle, the size of your garage, your budget, and the style of your home.
Wooden Garage Doors
Wood garage door is a highly fashionable choice. Wooden garage doors give off a stunning, opulent, and rustic appearance that improves curb appeal. Wooden doors are strong and substantial in weight. Additionally, wood garage doors give homeowners a variety of style alternatives. They can be completed in a variety of tones and shades to blend in with or enhance the color design of your home.
Nevertheless, wooden garage doors take a lot of work and are quite heavy to Install. They are therefore among the priciest choices for your new garage door. Additionally, you should think about the effort and maintenance required to keep them looking brand-new, particularly if you reside in a humid or rainy area. You should schedule routine maintenance to make sure your garage door is operating correctly since wood doors can warp or bow. To maintain your wooden garage door looking its finest and newest, you should refinish it every few years.
Because of fading from the sun and other weather factors, wood doors need to be refinished every few years, just like any other kind of outside wooden construction, such a deck or porch. This will maintain the fresh curb appeal and new-looking wood garage door.
Wood Composite Garage Doors
You can get the beauty of wood without having to deal with the upkeep and labor-intensiveness of wooden garage doors with wood composite garage doors. These doors are made by stacking wood composite on top of steel to give the appearance of real wood. Composite wood provides insulation and resistance to cracks and rot. Additionally, it is possible to add additional insulation to wood composite doors to make them more climate-appropriate.
Steel Garage Doors
Steel garage doors provide homeowners with an excellent balance of style and less maintenance. Of course, steel is a sturdy choice for your new garage door. Steel doors are frequently paintable or coated to complement the design and color palette of your home. Because of this, many homeowners find steel doors to be an appealing alternative. To fit your lifestyle and the climate where you live, you can also select between insulated and non-insulated steel garage doors.
Aluminum Garage Doors
Aluminum garage doors have a sleek, polished appearance that goes well with contemporary or modern design. Glass features can be added to aluminum garage doors to let in more natural light, or they can be fitted without glass to give seclusion. The fact that aluminum garage doors resist rust and corrosion is one of its main benefits. Because of this, they are a fantastic option in tougher, colder regions like the Midwest.
However, if you lead an active lifestyle, aluminum garage doors might not be the greatest choice. Aluminum dings more readily than other kinds of garage doors because it is a softer metal. You might want to think about the effects it will have on your aluminum garage door if you live in an area prone to wind and hail storms or if you have children playing in the driveway near your garage door.
Glass Garage Doors
Glass garage doors are special since they provide natural light into your garage, increasing the amount of variety in that area. If you want to turn your garage into a workshop, family hangout, or other kind of multipurpose room, a glass garage door is a perfect alternative for you. You can upgrade your glass garage door with more insulation if you live in a harsher, colder area.
There are a few alternatives available to you if glass is your preferred material for a new garage door: tinted, frosted, acrylic, mirrored, and clear glass. Speaking with your garage door installation professional about glass options can help you determine which is best for your home.
Garage Door Styles to Consider
It’s time to think about the style you want for your new garage door after you’ve chosen the material. The perfect garage door style for your home will depend on several criteria, including your budget, the layout of your home, and your particular tastes.
Technology is used by many manufacturers to let you visualize how your new garage door will appear in your home. Utilize these tools, but hold off on making an online purchase.
The design of a garage door frequently complements the color scheme of your home and improves its curb appeal. One of the most important aspects to take into account when selecting a new garage door is style. Let’s examine several styles that go well with the garage door materials you have selected:
Traditional Garage Doors
Traditional garage doors are easily identified by their monochrome color scheme and symmetrical raised rectangle design. There are many different colors and panel sizes available for traditional garage doors. An additional option for a traditional garage door is to add glass window panels. Because of this, homeowners now have a flexible and adaptable alternative to standard garage doors. Traditional garage doors work well with a variety of home styles because of their straightforward design.
Contemporary Garage Doors
Contemporary garage doors are still another adaptable choice since they come in a variety of materials, such as steel, glass, and aluminum. If you’re searching for a garage door to go with the modern style of your home, these doors are a perfect option. Modern homes complement the sleek, contemporary design of contemporary-styled garage doors.
Carriage House Garage Doors
With its timeless, rustic appearance, carriage house garage doors are a fantastic alternative to wood doors. Old garages that once held horses and carriages are where these doors got their moniker. They are available in a variety of colors and designs and resemble barn doors. Carriage house garage doors go nicely with rustic wooden home designs and farmhouse architecture. Certain carriage house doors open from side to side as opposed to up and down like contemporary or traditional garage doors and are made expressly to imitate barn doors. To create a rustic, classic appearance, carriage house garage door can be constructed from steel, wood, or wood composite materials.
These are only a handful of the several kinds of garage doors available. You can choose from a variety of styles for your new garage door. Prior to making your final choice, it is advisable to speak with a reputable and experienced professional installer.
Tips for Buying a Garage Door
Beyond styles and materials, there are additional factors to take into account when considering a new garage door for your home. When installing a new garage door, it is crucial to consider certain factors, like the environment, your budget, and any other needs. Here are some more queries to consider while selecting a door.
Upgrade Your Garage Door Opener
It’s recommended to update your automatic garage door opener at the same time that you’re thinking about getting a new garage door. You’ll need a stronger garage door opener to handle the additional weight if you’re installing a heavier door than your previous one. If you haven’t already, you should replace your outdated chain-driven garage door opener with a modern belt-driven model. For both residential and commercial owners, belt-driven door openers provide a more modern and efficient solution.
You should update your remote controls whenever you upgrade your garage door opener. These days, you may operate your garage door with innovative technology that comes with smartphone applications. Additionally, you should think about updating to rolling code technology-enabled remotes. Every time someone uses one of your remotes to operate your door, rolling code technology modifies the codes on the device. The earlier models just don’t use this improved safety and security function.
Insulated Garage Door
You may want to think about improving the insulation on your new garage door, depending on the temperature where you reside. An insulated door ensures the energy efficiency of your garage door. An R-value, or insulation rating, is attached to garage doors. The R-value of a garage door is necessary to determine its energy efficiency.
The R-value of a new garage door determines the level of insulation. The higher the garage door’s insulation grade, the higher its R-value. You should think about getting a new garage door with a higher R-value if you reside in a cold climate with severe weather.
To help you save money on energy costs like heating and cooling your home, you should also think about improving the insulation on your new garage door. It’s critical to keep in mind that your garage door is only a door. Your door functions to keep excessive temperatures out of your home and lower electricity costs, just like other doors in your home. Since the garage door is probably the biggest in your home, it’s important to choose the correct kind of insulation. This is another crucial piece of advice to bear in mind when purchasing a commercial garage door.
Garage Door Size
If you already have a garage door, taking the measurements of your garage door opening is not too difficult. Size considerations are important whether you are expanding an existing garage or creating a new one. Single-car garage doors are typically 8 feet wide by 7 feet tall. The typical size for a double-car garage is 7 by 16 feet, yet some people would rather have two single garage doors installed. Although these are the most popular sizes, three-car garage doors are among the many other alternatives available. Don’t give up if you can’t locate a door that suits your garage; a bespoke door can be created very fast.
Budget
Buying a garage door is a significant investment for your home or place of business. A brand-new door may last for many years or the lifetime of your home. When making a major purchase, like a new door, you should thoroughly analyze your spending plan and make every effort to stick to it. There’s more to budgeting than just figuring out how much you’d randomly like to spend on a new door. Once you’ve decided on the budget for your new door, do some research and speak with qualified installers.
Decide on Garage Door Windows
The majority of garage door materials allow for the addition of windows. Benefits from garage windows include natural light. They could also raise the value of your home because they are more costly.
Garage Door Parts
Two of the most important components are the door springs and the tracks.
Torsion springs, which are more durable and safer than extension springs, are now used in the majority of garage doors. Avoid buying the cheapest torsion springs possible because you won’t need to replace them as frequently if you invest a little bit more.
Another crucial factor to take into account are garage door tracks. There are a few different kinds of tracks available, but the standard radius tracks with a 15-inch radius are the most popular. There are other tracks as well, such as roof pitch, hi-lift, and vertical lift; it all depends on how your garage is laid up.
New Technology
Over time, these doors have evolved, becoming more modern and complex at the same time.
Complex technology has been incorporated by garage door manufacturers to create smart, user-friendly doors. With new coatings, material combinations, and insulation processes, smart doors are more resilient. They are now easier to use and quieter as well as most manufacturers resort to using nylon rollers. The garage door can be programmed to open automatically as you pull up, or you can monitor and activate it remotely with a smartphone.
DIY Install vs. Professional Install
It is possible to install a garage door on your own. If you want to save money and learn a lot about the operation of your garage door mechanism so that you can perform any necessary maintenance and repairs in the future, it can be a wise decision. It is not advised, though, unless you have total faith in your skills and the real-world experience to support them. A family member may be hurt or killed by a badly fitted overhead door, which could also break and violate its warranty.
On the other hand, a proficient garage door installation will do the work more quickly and with less disturbance. Having installed hundreds of garage doors, a skilled installer can guarantee a safe and trouble-free installation for you. You can feel secure knowing that you haven’t voided the warranty in case there are any further problems.
Please give us a call at (202) 883-4436 if you’re thinking about buying a new overhead door and would like to arrange a free estimate.