Choosing the Right Garage Door

It is true that you don’t need to go garage door shopping very often and therefore some amount of upfront homework helps in making the right decision. Garage doors have evolved from the basic old slab styles in the last couple of years and hardboard or wood constructions have led to the availability of an unlimited number of design options.

Research

Before you make any decision regarding your garage door, spend some time getting information about their various important features. The complexity and size of these doors has an impact on their safety and functionality. Besides this, the other issues that need attention include insulation and installation.

Garage doors also have a huge impact on the overall aesthetic appeal of your home. In a lot of ways, they do create that “first impression” on the people who come to visit your home or pass through your neighborhood.

Therefore, gaining knowledge about the different garage door types and their features could enable you to make the best buying decision. Apart from aesthetics, homeowners also need to consider vital technical aspects before deciding on a particular garage door. These include the materials used for making the garage door and its construction. Garage doors made out of different materials have their own pros and cons and vary in terms of pricing. Some of them are discussed below:

Steel and metal garage doors

Garage doors made out of steel and various other metals have the advantage of being durable and require far less maintenance. There garage doors being made out of aluminum as well as copper. But majority of the metal garage doors are still made using steel.

The least expensive and simplest steel doors comprise a steel panel or one single sheet which makes the door. Such doors might not be very sturdy. Other garage steel doors use a back and front panel for a greater amount of rigidity. These doors also offer insulation and can be fitted in between the door skins.

You will be able to paint almost all steel garage doors using latex paint so that it matches your house color.

Wooden garage doors

Garage doors can be made out of a solid piece of wood or from a mix of other materials combined with wood (e.g. steel) and the wood can be the face of a steel-back garage door.

You cannot miss the beauty and richness of this beautiful material, especially all the stained varieties. However, woodengarage doors naturally require the maximum amount of maintenance. Also, these doors are more expensive to install as compared to garage doors made with other materials.

Often, buyers come across references to the number of construction layers when shopping for garage doors. For instance, a four-layer garage door may comprise a combination overlay covering the front panel made of steel. Also, the back of the door is constructed using one more steel panel. There is an insulation core in between the two panels.

Consider the type of garage door you would like to install keeping in mind both durability and aesthetics of the material used.