Choosing a garage door that complements your home is important, as your garage door can represent over 30% of our home’s exterior.   The overall appearance and curb appeal of your home can be influenced greatly by the garage door you choose.   You will need to determine what you will be using your garage for.  Will it be a workshop, utility room, play area?  If so, you will need a garage door with good insulation properties. See how to install a garage door.

The following are tips to help you buy the best garage door within your garage door budget.  

Consider the following tips on how to buy a garage door:

#1 - The Size of the Garage Door:  When selecting the best garage door, you will need to make sure the garage door fits perfectly.  To find a door that will fit, all you need to do is measure your opening and take the measurements to the garage door professional.  

#2 - The Style of the Garage Door:  Start by choosing a panel design from one of the three main panel designs: flush panels, long raised panels, and short raised panels.  Flush panels are flat and slightly textured.  Long raised panels give depth to the door, as well as a distinct overall appearance.  Short raised panels give depth to the door and are great for Victorian style homes because they can have intricately detailed trim.  

Consider painting the sloped portion of the panels in a contrasting color for a little more style.  Also, adding windows and window panels will give your garage door a unique touch.  Select a double paned window to help control temperatures.

#3 - Garage Door Construction Materials:  Wood and steel are the most common materials for garage doors.   Wood doors have a variety of options, from basic raised panel designs to more decorative styles, such as 18^th and 19^th century styles.  They come in all types of stains and paint.    Steel doors are more economical and are more common than wood.  They also come in different colors or can be painted to your liking.

There are three common types of steel doors:

• Single Layer Steel Doors - They are made from a single sheet of galvanized steel.

• Double Layer Steel Doors - They are made from a galvanized steel skin on the outside and a thick layer of polystyrene or polyurethane as a backer.  This backer provides soundproofing and extra insulation.

• Triple Layer Steel Doors -  They are made of the same materials as double layer doors, except there is an additional layer of galvanized skin on the inside to protect the polystyrene/polyurethane from damage.  This makes this door the strongest and more soundproof garage door.

# 4 -Insulation for the Garage Used as Additional Living Space:  It is important to maintain a constant, comfortable temperature through insulation.  The garage door can be a big part of the insulation in this space.  A garage door with good insulation properties will have an R-value of at least 3 for moderate to mild and can go up to a 10 for severe climates.   The best garage door for insulation will have weather seals between the sections.  These seals can be designed into the mating surfaces of the panels or in the form of a gasket material that compresses as the door is closed.  Be sure there is a bottom seal or threshold.

• Add New
• Search

Comments (1)

• |2009-08-07 00:12:02 zhybridtoast  - #5 -The installation and service
  Is DIY not an option for you on this one? It's important to find some one you would enjoy doing business with.
  
  If you live in the Baltimore, MD to York, PA area and I may make a suggestion: carlsdoorservice.com
  
  Seriously, Carl's Door Service has been one of the best companies I've hired for any job. They. Did. It. Right. And that's all I ask any company to do.
  • 1
  • 0

  ReplyQuote

Write comment

Your Contact Details:

Name:

Email: do not notifynotify

Website:

Comment:

Title:

UBBCode:         -color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge

Message:

Security

Please input the anti-spam code that you can read in the image.

Do it yourself - Home