Garage Door Buying Guide

New Garage Door Considerations

This garage door buying guide is designed to help you get started on your journey buying a new garage door. You might imagine that the garage door industry is not very big. The truth is, the garage door manufacturing industry in the United States alone is worth more than $3 billion every single year!

Garage doors are available in a wide variety of styles and types and there is almost certainly a garage door that will work perfectly for you. However, it can be tricky to find the perfect garage door. When considering a new garage door installation, the first thing you have to understand is what all of your options are. We’ve provided some information below to get you started.

Different Types of the Garage Doors

When it comes to garage doors, there are basically two things to keep in mind. One is the functional type of garage door, including considerations like choice of material and insulation. The other is the style of the garage door. There are a number of functional types of garage door but we’ll focus on the most common.

You are probably familiar with what is called a sectional garage door. Sectional garage doors have several horizontal panels. You or a motor can then push the garage door up and the panels will hinge so that the door ends up parallel to the ceiling of your garage.

The other most common type is the rollup garage door. These are more common in commercial applications but can be found in some residential applications as well. In fact, rollup garage doors are basically like sectional garage doors but with a higher number of panels. Rollup garage doors are basically dozens of small horizontal panels with hinges in between them.

There are also side-hinged garage doors that are like giant regular doors. They swing horizontally on hinges to open and close. They can be a good choice if there is no room inside the garage for the garage door when it’s opened.

Other Option Considerations

The design of your garage door is only one of the functional things to keep in mind. You also need to decide what material you want your garage door to be made out of. Additionally, you have to account for whether or not you are going to insulate your garage door. The material that you choose for your garage door will greatly affect its lifespan. Most garage doors are made of steel or wood. Many steel garage doors are available with textured wood patterns providing the durability of steel with the warm wood appearance.

Regardless of the kind of garage door you get, you will need to provide periodic maintenance including painting to protect your investment. You will need to paint a wood garage door more often than steel. Steel will last a long time and need less maintenance.

Insulated panels are another popular option. If you invest in insulation for your garage door, then your garage can become another comfortable place to hang out. Otherwise, it will probably be uncomfortable during the hottest and coolest times of the year.

Garage Door Styles: Traditional

The traditional style include raised-panel garage doors offering a clean, classic look for your home’s exterior. These garage doors are characterized by symmetrical, raised rectangular panels.

The typical traditional garage door will offer choices of the rectangle shape itself such as square, rectangle and short rectangle. Other options will include windows with different glass style options, colors and garage door panel insulation. Most garage door makers offer a variety of products in this class, with various options for construction and design including insulated and natural-wood options.

Garage Door Styles: Carriage House

Carriage House doors, sometimes know as “ranch style” doors are very popular in the United States. They are often made out of wood or steel that imitates the appearance of wood and presents a warm ranch or farm feel. This class of garage door offers an incredible array of styles, limited only by the imagination.

The panels often resemble barn doors adding a rustic feel to the door. A wide variety of window styles are available and very common with this style. The door hardware really adds a detail to these doors that make them pop visually. If you are looking for something a little more than traditional while maintaining a warm inviting appearance, the carriage house style might be right for you. There are tons of choices in style, colors and options to fit every taste.

Garage Door Styles: Contemporary or Modern

Contemporary garage doors are the result of modern advances in technology and aesthetics. They are much more likely to be asymmetrical than any other kind of garage door. You can see that same kind of asymmetry as a feature in modern art. These doors are the result of thinking outside of the box. That means that everything, including the color and the materials, is up for discussion.

The contemporary style door allows for almost any combination of materials and visual elements that are best suited for homes that feature a modern architectural design. The stunning visuals really add to the overall appearance of the modern home.

Choices, Choices and More Choices!

We don’t usually think too much about garage doors – at least while they’re working properly. But when the time comes to replace one, homeowners quickly realize that there are a lot of choices for replacement doors including budget and style. This garage door buying guide provides an introduction to some of the features and styles to consider. We encourage you to check out our preferred garage door vendors including C.H.I, Northwest Door, Carriage House and Clopay to see all they have to offer. As always, our team is ready and available to help with any questions you may have, click here to get in touch. Happy garage door shopping!

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