The 4 Most Important Factors to Consider when Buying a New Garage Door

Take a look at your garage door. It’s likely that you have had it for many years, and it has provided great function and protection to your garage for a long time. But it’s getting old, damaged, and worn. It may be past the point of repair. Perhaps you’re looking to have a new garage door installed as soon as possible. You might have looked online for the different types of garage doors available, what they’re made of, and what they cost. You want to learn about your options on the market, and a lot of popular manufacturers have some available products that may be of interest to you. However, before you take that next step forward to purchasing your brand-new garage door, there are 4 important factors that you need to consider first.

These 4 facts are important to keep in mind when viewing all of the options available to you.

First, you’ll need to remember that your garage door takes up more than one-third of your home’s façade, and is one of the first things that a passing neighbor or visitor will see when viewing your home. The garage door is what can make or break the entire front façade of your home. Make sure to consider the style and design of your door before moving forward with a purchase. There are plenty of options available from manufacturers on the current market. Let’s begin looking at the 4 most important factors to consider when buying a new garage door.

Choose the right style

Consider the style of your home. Is your home built in the traditional style? Or perhaps your house takes on a more contemporary or modern look? Maybe you have more of a carriage-house style. Garaga offers designs for up to 23 different home styles – which is 5-6 times more than what was available on the market just two short decades ago. With all of these availabilities, how do you know what the best option is for the style of your home?

Here are some handy examples:

• If your home is modern, contemporary, sleek, and minimalistic, seek out a garage door that reflects the same style. Often, contemporary garage doors offer clean lines, limited to small details, simple windows, and often one solid color. You can also go with a fully windowed garage door, which looks like a curtain.
• A bungalow-styled home, also known as a Craftsman style home, is distinguishable by the one-and-a-half-storied architecture, low overhanging roof, vinyl wood blended with brick, large windows, and large dormers. Garage doors that go along with this style often sport classic doors, embossed designs, and unique patterns.
• A humble carriage or country-styled home is traditional, retro, and rustic. A garage door in this style would reflect the arched carriage doors that were popular in the 1950s.

One thing that today’s garage door manufacturers aren’t lacking is imagination. Each year, new door designs are made to match the growing and varying tastes of their customers. By browsing their large selection of decorative Windows, you will get a taste of what customization options are available for your garage door. The manufacturer can even create a custom-made garage door for your home.

Don’t overlook weather seals and insulation

In many ways, the garage is an extension of the home. Homeowners use it in a variety of ways – as an exercise room, an extra bedroom, a crafting space, and more. As yard sizes grow smaller to accommodate population growth and avoid too much urban sprawl, the garage has become more and more valuable in terms of space. The garage is an important space to consider when planning your storage or DIY craft needs.

A properly insulated and weatherproof garage is much warmer than a non-insulated door – specifically, it is 10° to 20° F (5° to 8°) warmer than a lower insulated door. Think about what happens each time you drive your car into your garage. The heat given off by the car’s running motor is retained due to the door having a thermal resistance value of at least R-12.

Almost every homeowner uses the garage door as the main entrance for the house, as they are constantly entering and leaving through their garage. A properly insulated garage will help keep the heat in during the cold seasons, even with all the coming and going. With a garage that has fortified weather seals and solid insulation, you won’t have to worry about transferring cold or humid air each time you open the door.

Think about the maintenance

Naturally, homeowners want a garage door with as few maintenance requirements as possible. Consider a garage door that is already painted, installed, and maintained. Wood garage doors may appear beautiful, but require extensive repair about every two years, with constant sanding and a coat of new stain to keep the wood intact. In contrast, metal doors that have baked-on paint exteriors and galvanized steel parts will never wear or require new paint. Plus, metal doors are quite resistant to weather fluctuations, promising long-term use.

The other components of your garage door, such as price, installation, and longevity, should also be considered. You’ll want to maximize your money’s worth out of your new garage door. If you’re trying to decide between two doors, and one is significantly more expensive than the other, you are encouraged to ask why. Make sure you understand what you’re getting for the cost. Sometimes, a cheaper door isn’t worth the increased maintenance it may require. Ask us to give you a list of pros and cons for each product, so that you have a full understanding of what bang you’ll get for your buck.

Make sure you have the entire garage door installation process explained to you so that you can understand what cost, design, and maintenance specifics are involved.

Picture it first!

Thankfully, there is a way to easily see what your garage door will look like before you buy it. We offer a virtual tool for trying out garage doors. Visit our Design Centre online, where you can try out three different features:

• Design your custom garage door according to your specifications, designs, and price range. You can even add custom windows and choose the model of your preference.
• Choose one of our uploaded home models that most closely corresponds with the architectural style of your home.
• Upload a photo of your current home, or the home you are moving into, and superimpose one of our garage door models on it to get a virtual glimpse of what the finished product would look like.

We have dozens of options for you to choose the garage door of your dreams. Just select your door style, play around with the different color scheme options, and add windows or other decorative hardware for a custom flair. After you have decided on your perfect design, you can save your choice on your computer and show it to your neighbors and friends for a second opinion. With our Design Centre, you can pick and save as many door designs as you’d like.

If you’re in need of a little inspiration, check out our image gallery next to the Design Centre to see what our other customers have created.

Ready to get started?

For more information regarding a garage door’s construction, style, R-value, weather seals, decorative options, and more, we can help you find the perfect pick. If you still have questions after reading this article, you can contact us at 705-721-7909. You can also send us a request for an online quotation, where we will get back to you shortly.