June 2, 2017

4 factors you must consider before buying a garage door

Before

There’s no denying it: your current garage may have served you well, but it’s gotten old. In fact, it’s now past the point of no return.

That’s why you’ve been online researching the different types of garage doors currently available on the market. While there are definitely some interesting options out there, you should be sure to consider the following 4 important factors before you actually continue with making a purchase.

In case you’re thinking about skipping these four factors so you can get right to replacing that garage door of yours, consider the fact that this feature will take up over a third of your home’s exterior appearance, so you really need to make sure you make the best possible choice. If you don’t, that’s going to be one massive eyesore.

This is why you’ll find so many different models, colours, and overall designs from manufacturers these days.

All right, let’s get started.

The right style

Begin by thinking about the style of your home. Does it have a traditional style? Maybe you have a contemporary or modern style. There are even garage doors that work best with carriage‑house style homes.

No matter what kind of design your home has, Garaga offers more than 20 different styles to choose from. That’s well over 5 or 6 times the amount you would have found available just two decades ago.

Still, with all these choices out there, you might be wondering how you can choose the door style that will be the best possible fit. Here are some examples of good matches:

  • For a bungalow type house (e.g. a Craftsman), you’ll want a door that fits with its low‑pitched overhanging roof, the wood or vinyl siding that blends with stone or brick cladding, and large windows and dormers. Also, consider the fact that they tend to be one-and-a-half stories. One really great choice would be a fully windowed garage door. These give off the appearance of a curtain wall and look amazing.
  • your home has a modern and contemporary look to it, you’ll want to find a garage door that has the same features. This would mean things like limited details, clean lines, and simple, understated windows. Again, a fully windowed garage door that resembles a curtain wall is probably going to be the right choice.
  • If your home has a country, carriage‑house style, then pick a garage door style with the kind of arched carriage doors that were so popular in the 1950s.

It’s a great time to be in the market for garage doors as manufacturers are not lacking for imagination and offer all kinds of designs to match an equally diverse range of tastes.

Take a closer look at all of the different decorative windows you can choose from to give your door a unique look.

You could always pick a completely customized garage door for your home, too.

Don’t forget about insulation and weatherseals for your garage door

More and more, people’s garages are becoming extensions of the rest of their homes. As yards have become smaller in response to urban sprawl, every square foot of a home has become even more important. Everyone wants to make the most of the space they have.

A lot of times, garages are leveraged as DIY areas, space for an extra freezer or refrigerator, or simply a place to store seasonal items. If you’re like most people, a good amount of the space in your garage is probably occupied by stuff you should’ve given away to charity long ago.

Did you know that a correctly insulated and weatherproof garage door can be warmer by as much as 100 to 200 °F (50 to 80 °C) than one that hasn’t been?

Remember that every time you drive your vehicle into your garage, the heat it gives off during cold weather will be retained with a door that has a thermal resistance value of at least R‑12.

Except for on the coldest days, garage doors are often used as the main entrance into a home. A garage door with proper insulation and weatherproofing will store the heat that has accumulated. On top of that, cold, humid air won’t transfer every time you open the door between your home and garage.

How much maintenance will this door need?

No one wants a garage door that’s going to need a ton of maintenance, especially if that means painting. While wooden garage doors may offer natural beauty, they also require lots of maintenance about every two years or so (e.g. sanding, staining, etc.).

Contrast that to metal garage doors that feature baked‑n paint and galvanized steel that resists temperature fluctuations.

Other components of your door should also be considered. As you probably know, everyone wants their money’s worth. That’s why we encourage our customers to ask us plenty of questions, even when we recommend a product that is cheaper than others.

We’ll be happy to provide you with a list of the pros and cons. Will its parts and anchoring components correspond with a garage door that will be around for at least 20 years?

Have your entire garage door system completely explained to you before you ever consider spending a dime on it and never purchase one that will require maintenance you don’t want to do.

Before you buy it, see what it will look like

You wouldn’t want to buy a piece of clothing without knowing what it looks like on you first, so why spend money on a garage door before you see if it will be a good fit for your home?

Our Design Centre allows you to do just that. It gives you three options:

Select the style of door you want and then consider different colour schemes and even the possibility of windows or decorative features.

Go through our image gallery for even more ideas of what’s possible for your garage door.

Ready to get started?

Now that you know what to consider when buying a garage door, contact us at 506-450-3031.

We can even provide you with an online quotation. After all, that’s important to consider, too.

  • Design the door based on the size and model you are looking for. Add windows if you like.
  • Choose the home model that closest corresponds with your architectural style.
  • For best results, just upload a photo of your home or an image of the one you plan to build and then superimpose various garage door models on it.

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