Choosing the Right Garage Door
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Whether you are refreshing the look of your existing home or a new homeowner, installing a garage door offers you an opportunity to add a new, exciting element to your home’s exterior. Most homeowners replace their garage doors once in their lifetime. Therefore, finding the perfect mix of affordability, fashion, and function is a crucial part of the process.
To help homeowners make an informed decision, we have listed the critical factors you must consider when choosing garage doors. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
Factors to Look for in the Garage Door
Type of Door
There are three types of doors: stock, custom, or semi-custom. Stock comes with pre-fabricated units that only need to assemble and installed. However, they usually have plain designs. As the name suggests, semi-custom doors come with pre-assembled hardware or parts. But they offer several features to make them more efficient and beneficial.
On the other hand, custom garage doors are the ones you can easily design as per your requirements. They have incredible features like a split door opening, rounded door shapes, decorative metal strapping, and stained wood paneling. Since you add style and features to it, they can cost you significant money.
Materials
The garage door material is one thing you must give due attention to. You need to choose the one based on the location’s weather. You can opt for wood doors, as they are durable, look fancy, and go well for several years. But wood can wear down quickly in humid locations such as neighborhoods that experience snow and rain most of the year.
Steel doors with composite overlays give off the authentic appearance of wood while maintaining the resilience of steel. Steel composite doors are an excellent option if you want the appearance of wood without worrying about maintenance.
Aluminum is a great material for most areas. You can also go for aluminum garage doors that look aesthetically pleasing can boost the curb appeal. They are durable, last longer without repair, and protect your house from harsh outdoor conditions.
Hardware
You need to consider the type of hardware used in your chosen garage doors. The garage doors use heavy-duty springs that act as a counterweight to the door’s weight. These parts allow the doors to close and open easily.
Homeowners need to ensure that there are at least two counterweight springs present in it. If there is only one spring, it will break, causing your door to slam down due to gravity. This can lead to deadly accidents in your house. Having two springs will hold the door and prevent accidents.
Budget
Whether it’s about buying a new home or a garage door, budgeting is crucial before making any purchase. The cost of garage doors depends on several factors, including insulation, material, hardware, style, size, and much more. Once you’ve finalized the budget, look for options that fall within it to avoid financial crises.
Also, the more features you add to your garage doors, the more expensive they will be. So, it’s vital to prioritize what features are essential for you and look for affordable garage doors that meet your requirements.
Size
The most important thing you need to consider is your door size. Generally, a single-car garage door is 7 to 8 feet high and 8 to 9 feet wide. Contrary, double-car garage doors are 7 to 8 feet high and 16 feet wide.
Some garage doors are also non-standard size. Hiring experts and letting them measure the garage door’s height and width is better. Experienced and skilled experts will guide you in choosing the rightly-sized garage doors.
Style
The garage door style greatly matters as it decides the overall appeal of your house’s exterior. The most popular garage doors are up & over garage doors. They go up and over in one piece as you open or close them. Sectional style is another option and comes with a complex garage door mechanism. They work through a slide mechanism that looks super classy.
Single-hinged garage doors are perfect for houses that use garage doors more than to park the car. It comes with pedestrian access so that you don’t have to open the entire garage door every time you need to enter the garage.
Colors
Consider the color scheme and design of the property while deciding on a color for your garage door. A mismatched door will damage the façade of your house. Picking the right color will also help you make a personal statement about your home sweet home.
People usually go for colors like light gray, white, brown, dark grey, black, taupe, or beige. The simplest trick and tip for choosing colors is to match your front door with a garage door, consider the style of your home, and pick a vibrant and appealing color.
Maintenance
If you don’t want to be disappointed in your decision in the future, you need to think about maintenance and care. You must pay attention to your garage door to maintain its performance and look. Some materials require more maintenance than others. For instance, natural wood looks beautiful but needs regular finishing.
Doors with synthetic resins and wood fibers offer durability, and won’t crack, rot, or warp. But they might not offer you a chic look like wood. Steel is easy to care for and suitable for every location. However, regular waxing of this garage door is essential to prevent surface rust. So, make sure to think about the level of maintenance you need to do for a garage door based on your location.
Bottom Line
In a nutshell, if you need to install the right garage door that improves your house’s facade and works efficiently for several years, you must consider some factors, such as color, maintenance, material, features, and much more. If you are confused, you can take expert help who can present you with options and help you decide which one is best for you.
