It’s the time for replacing your garage door and giving a little upgrade to your home and, if you’re struggling to find the right garage door for your home, read on as we have a few pieces of advice for you. (Related topics: Spencertown garage doors, Kinderhook garage doors, Austerlitz garage doors)
Most homes rely on a sectional garage door with horizontal panels hinged together and fitted with rollers. These rollers ride on two parallel tracks and the door is lifted by a chain, belt, screw or direct drive system. Although most door styles operate manually, allowing you to lift the door, a garage door opener can be wired to include an outdoor keypad that allows access from outside.
The new trend in garage door openers is one that will alert you if you leave your garage door open, and it can be incorporated to many different door styles.
Including glass panels in the door is also a common practice nowadays and it can be applied to a wide variety of styles from traditional to contemporary. There are even carriage-house style doors available in a sectional door made to look like they are swing style doors.
Construction materials nowadays are also varied and they can include steel, aluminum, wood, wood composites, fiberglass, vinyl and glass, all with different durability and price points, so you can make the decision that better fits your home’s style and your budget.
Now, the tips to choose the right door depend a lot on the material and style you’re looking for. Steel doors, for example, are better if they are made of two layers of galvanized steel. The surface should be either primed and painted with a tough topcoat finish or clad with a composite material. Steel doors are versatile and can be painted to match your home and come with or without insulation. The insulated ones have cores of rigid polystyrene or polyurethane foam to keep the garage warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. The downside of steel doors is that they can be dented.
While vinyl garage doors are promoted as being kid-proof, because they are difficult to dent or break, it doesn’t mean they are impossible to break. They’re usually built on steel frames filled with polyurethane insulation. Vinyl doors look similar to fiberglass doors but are available in fewer colors. However, if you’re looking for durability and little maintenance, a vinyl door may be your go-to choice.
Doors made from fiberglass are also very resistant to denting or cracking. They do not rust, but the impact can break them so caution is advised. The two layers of fiberglass that form the door are typically bonded to a steel frame and filled with polyurethane insulation while the rigidity is improved with steel end caps.
If you’re thinking about aluminum doors you may have to consider the modern home elevations that are booming nowadays for aluminum frame garage doors fitted with aluminum panels that eliminate the problem of rust. However, these are easier to dent, even if they come in different contemporary brushed finishes, as well as in many colors. Translucent glass panels may be used in place of aluminum panels, which allow light in without compromising privacy or security.