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

Traditional Garage DoorThe 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 Style Garage DoorCarriage 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 DoorContemporary 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, Hormann Garage 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!

“Hands down the best service I have ever received. Jeremy and his crew are super responsive and provide excellent customer service. “

~Erika Contreras

Yelp Reviews

  •   Seamless service with keen garage door, five star experience. I recently had the pleasure of upgrading my garage door with Keen garage door, and I couldn't be more satisfied with... read more

    thumb Chris S.
    11/06/2023

      If you are ever in need of a garage door company that does it all KEEN is the only business you need to call!! I called the office on a... read more

    thumb Mike K.
    11/04/2023

      Skyler did a great job. I would recommend Skyler and Keen garage door. Very professional!

    thumb Kevin C.
    10/27/2023
  •   Customer service is awesome here. Leslie will take care of you like family and the brothers know their stuff.

    thumb Renee F.
    10/19/2023

      Service on my automatic gate.  The team was great to work with, very responsive.  There was a call-back on another issue and they came out on a Saturday, fixed it,... read more

    thumb Tom G.
    10/07/2023

      I've used Keen for both my personal and professional projects and have consistently had seamless experiences with them. I appreciate their fast communication, pricing (which is lower than the other... read more

    thumb Carissa D.
    10/06/2023
  •   Keen Garage Doors is the absolute best. The owner Jeramie is a true professional. He answered any question we had, at any time of day and the install was perfect.... read more

    thumb Daniel B.
    9/17/2023

      I can't say enough how helpful this company is! The owner himself came to help me out on the Sunday of a 3 day holiday weekend and was here in... read more

    thumb K H.
    9/07/2023

      I recently had a garage door bummer. Unfortunately it happened in the evening around 545pm. When most businesses close up shop or possibly to busy to get to your problem.... read more

    thumb Eric S.
    9/02/2023

Google Reviews

Jennifer Ruo
Jennifer Ruo
2023-11-27
Leslie was able to get me an appointment quickly to get a new garage door knowing I had a tight deadline. Thanks Leslie!
Barbara Meyer
Barbara Meyer
2023-11-19
Vincent was fabulous. Patient knowledgeable and respectful. He’s a keeper.
Robert Kelly
Robert Kelly
2023-11-11
Spring replacement and new rollers. As always, Jeremy and his team were on time, and took care of the job at a reasonable price. I always have a good experience with this business.
Donna Cook
Donna Cook
2023-11-08
Jeramie Keen of Keen Garage Doors arrived at my home within one hour of my distress call. He got my mangled garage door open so I could drive my car out of the garage and onto my driveway. He proceeded to quote a replacement door, new California code opener with emergency battery all ready to install within 2 weeks. In this business climate who would have thought all of this would be possible within one hour? Just amazing! Thank you Jeramie. Your company is my new go to garage door source. I couldn’t be more pleased. Thank you.
Mary lynne Richardson
Mary lynne Richardson
2023-11-08
From our 1st phone call until the job was expertly finished, Keen Garage door service was perfect! Leslie, Jeremy and Vince were friendly, knowledgeable and got the repairs done efficiently. 5 Stars for excellence!
Mike Grace
Mike Grace
2023-11-07
Great experience with Jeramie and his crew Skyler and Seth. I appreciate that Jeramie helped me upgrade the hardware for my 2 garage doors as I made the mistake of purchasing the doors elsewhere with hardware that was not advisable with heavier glass doors. With a speedy and efficient installation, I’m very happy with the finished product. Would definitely recommend Keen and would hire again in the future - Mike in Forestville
Katherine Johnson
Katherine Johnson
2023-11-07
Keen was friendly, helpful and communicative from the start. My old house didn't have room for a regular sized garage door and I wanted a specific look. They delivered a custom built wooden door (with windows) that is just beautiful. It took awhile for it to be built, but they were accurately communicative about how long it would take. They installed it as expected and even sent a painter back to touch up a few areas to make it perfect. Thank you Keen! I highly recommend them.
Christine Schdemmel
Christine Schdemmel
2023-11-06
Seamless service with keen garage door five star experience I recently had The pleasure of upgrading my garage door with keen garage door, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with the process from start to finish. Leslie, the office manager, set the tone with her outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail during the initial conversation. She was not only a pleasure to speak with, but also made sure that my press questions were answered, Josh Their knowledgeable rep was prompt in stopping by to review the various options available. He provided a comprehensive quote that was straightforward and competitively priced no hidden and fees or surprises. When it came time for installation, Van and Jodi were the technicians who handled everything they arrived on schedule they were professional, took time to walk me through the use and maintenance of my new garage door. The level of customer service. The quality of the installation in the value of the price paid were all top-notch. I would highly recommend keen garage door to anyone in need of their services services. They truly stand out in a sea of competitors for professionalism and customer care.
Pamela Marks
Pamela Marks
2023-11-04
What a fantastic experience from the moment my garage door broke. They immediately came and did a quick repair. And then came back and replace my 35 year old door with a brand new door and it looks fantastic. They were on time they were courteous they were neat clean, quiet, and exceptionally professional. I would recommend them any day of the week.
Catalina Quiroz
Catalina Quiroz
2023-11-02
I called after hours and did not expect a person to answer after 6 p.m. I was assisted by a lovely lady named Leslie. She was wonderful to work with and answered all of my questions. Very polite and professional. I recommend Keen Garage Doors!
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