It is not that you will buy a garage door every day. For many people, buying a garage door is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It is a special chance that can add style, function, and also value to your house. Any homeowner will realize that selecting the right garage door is a really tough decision. Choosing the right one needs the homeowner’s attention on many aspects like style, size, insulation, materials, garage door opener repair service providers’ availability, etc. So, let’s talk about several aspects that need your careful attention while you are planning to buy a garage door for your house.
How to choose a garage door?
When choosing a garage door, you should look for one that is safe and functional. A new garage door doesn’t have the wear and tear problem that can put your house at risk. In these modern days of technology, you need to give attention to the aspects like security, curb appeal as well as efficiency. Many of the new garage doors can withstand weathering for many years while maximizing the safety of your house.
So, while thinking about the look and style of your garage door, you need to think about its performance. The climate in your area can have a big impact on the insulation of your garage door. Several people want to use their garage as an extra room, and so, in that case, insulation becomes important. Moreover, it will affect the overall performance and lifespan of your garage door.
However, before going to insulation there are some basic yet really important aspects that need your attention when you are planning to have a garage door.
1.Budget and size
Sometimes, cost becomes the top priority for many homeowners. The actual price of a garage door mainly depends on its building material, size, insulation, hardware, number of doors, etc. Thus, those non-insulated and single car options are usually the least expensive ones.
Without the installation charges, the door may cost you a few hundred dollars. Also, when you need a quieter operation, better durability, and efficiency, then it may cost you more.
The size of your garage door is also important while making the choice. Most single-car garages need a door that is 8 to 9 feet wide and 7 to 8 feet high. You can calculate its height and width by measuring the dimensions of the opening frame minus the stop molding. It will give you a rough estimate of the size of your garage door. However, the garages for taller vehicles like trucks need a height of 10 feet or more. Other factors that are related to the size of a garage door are:
- Headroom: The area near the ceiling of open-door springs and also the overhead tracks are called the headroom. For the extension springs, you need minimum of 10 inches, whereas for torsion you need minimum of 12 inches of room.
- Right/left side room: This is the distance on either side of the door. For the vertical tracks with torsion springs or standard extension, at least 4.5 inches of space are needed on each side.
- Backroom: The space needed for installation that is equal to a distance from the opening of the garage door to the back wall.
2. The materials of garage doors
A very crucial part of selecting your garage door is choosing the materials. All of the materials have their own pros and cons. So, the homeowners need to choose a material that can support their lifestyle and budget. Here are some examples of those materials that can be a good option for building garage doors.
- Steel: Steel requires less maintenance than wood and is versatile; however it is heavy and susceptible to dents, rust, and dings. The doors made of Steel can feature foam cores for an insulating factor. Also, the outer parts are designed to look like stucco, wood grain, etc. You can also paint or have moldings to give it a unique look.
- Wood: Wood is very popular for its natural look and cost-effectiveness. It is also easier to customize than other materials and has better durability and strength. You can also find the options like Cedar, Redwood, and Cypress that are moisture-resistant and have attractive looks. You can also find the options like Cedar, Redwood, and Cypress from reliable cedar suppliers that are moisture-resistant and have attractive looks.
However, wood does not have good insulation but if you can add polystyrene backing and apply prefinished stains to help resist various elements. Common types of wooden garage doors include roll-up doors with separate panels, out or in swinging carriage doors, tilt-up wood garage doors, etc.
- Composite wood: In this, a polystyrene core is built into the door, with a construction that is sandwich-like. In some cases, weatherproof resins and wood fibers can be used to create panels. Sometimes, composite wood has realistic patterns that give it a look similar to wood. You can also paint the doors if you wish,
- Vinyl: It is very resilient and quite hard to dent. Although there are fewer color and designs it is very easy to maintain. Vinyl doesn’t rot and insects cannot penetrate it. However, it may seem a little costly than others.
- Aluminum: It is the best option for you if you are planning to have a lightweight garage door. It is more dent-resistant than steel. Sometimes, you can have glass doors along with aluminum framing.
- Fiberglass: If you wish for something that is moisture and insect-resistant, fiberglass is perfect for you. Usually, fiberglass creates the outer skin, surrounded by a foam core and supported by a durable steel frame.
3. The types of garage doors
If you are looking for which type of garage door may be perfect for your house, then here are three options for you.
- Single-layer: It is the most basic one made of one outer layer of the material. It is really cheap and lightweight. Moreover, it put the least strain on the springs but gives minimal insulation.
- Double layer: Between the inner and outer layers there is a layer of polystyrene. It usually provides an insulating value from R-4 to R-7.
- Triple-layer: In this option, you will get an additional layer of galvanized steel to give protection to the insulating layer. It is the strongest option available and offers thermal resistance more than R-15.
4. The styles of the garage doors
You can also choose your garage door according to its style. Some of those are:
Classic style: Classic style garage doors provide the option of automatic or manual operation with the help of a garage door opener or garage door repair opener. It is also affordable and comes in different color and insulation options. Also, you can add extra windows or other hardware as per your choice.
Carriage style: Depicting the feeling of historic carriage house doors, these types of garage doors are better for older houses. These may seem like a swing-type door but open in the upward direction like those modern-style garage doors.
5. Garage door insulation
It is no doubt a very crucial aspect regarding garage doors. This insulation is measured by its R-value. This means how well certain insulation can resist the flow of heat. When the R-value is 0.00, it shows that the door is uninsulated. The other types are,
Slight insulation: When the R value is 6.3 to 6.5, it shows that it can offer a minor level of protection.
Sufficient insulation: When the R value is 12.9, it can protect your garage and can retain its cool air and heat.
High insulation: If the R-value is 18.4 then it can keep your garage and house at the same temperature.
In a climate that is moderate, you need an R-value of a minimum of 3 and for harsh weather; an R-value of 10 is the least requirement.
Thus, when you are trying to select the perfect garage door for your house, you need to consider multiple things carefully to make the right decision. Hence, when you are troubled with what to choose you can get help from the experts. Moreover, for the maintenance part, you can contact garage door repair in Las Vegas.
