You’re in the market for a new garage door and you’ve been doing your research… But there are so many different types available, so how do you choose what you need?
Before you make any decisions, you might regret, read our top four factors you should consider when buying a garage door.
Choose the right style
Your door choice should be based on the style of your home, consider whether you have a traditional, contemporary or carriage-house style home before selecting your door.
For example, if you have a Craftsman, bungalow style home, with a low-pitched overhanging roof, vinyl or wood siding and brick or stone cladding, dormers and large windows, you should be looking for a garage door that fits with your home’s style, i.e. something traditional with classic embossed designs.
If you live in a contemporary home, you should be looking for something with clean lines and simple windows, or depending on how contemporary your home is, a fully windowed garage door. Whereas if you live in a country style home, you should be looking for inspiration from the mid-century, perhaps a garage door style similar to the arched carriage doors seen in the 1950s would be a good fit.
There are so many different styles and add-on accessories, such as decorative windows, available that finding a style that suits your home should be a piece of cake. But, if you can’t find one that’s right for you, ask a garage door manufacturer to custom-make you a door!
Opt for a properly insulated, weather-sealed door
People need properly insulated garages for a whole host of reasons, maybe you use your garage as a gym or crafts space, maybe you use the garage door as the main entrance to the home, or perhaps you just need it properly insulated because its adjoined to your house.
A well insulated and weatherproof garage door with a thermal resistance value of at least R-12 will keep your garage 10-20°F (5-8°C) warmer than a non-insulated or poorly insulated door. This means that when you drive your car into the garage in cold weather, the heat given off by the engine will be retained in the garage, warming it up.
Will it require a lot of maintenance?
We highly doubt that you enjoy slaving over your garage door on a weekend when you could be at your kid’s soccer game, so it’s important that you choose a door that looks after itself.
While wooden doors might be attractive and improve your home’s curb appeal, they need to be re-sanded and re-stained at least every two years. There are so many different garage door models available now, that you can find really good-looking metal doors that have baked-on paint so require hardly any maintenance.
You should also ask your garage door manufacturer about the other components of the system. You want to find parts that last for at least twenty years. Ensure you ask why they recommend certain accessories and parts.
Try it before you buy it!
You might not actually be able to try-out a garage door before you buy one, but you can virtually. Our Design Centre allows you to upload a photo of your home and see what your garage door will look like. You can also use it to simply design a garage door according to the dimensions, or to superimpose the garage door model you like onto a pre-loaded picture of a home that looks like yours.
Once you’re done, download the picture and share it with your friends. It really is the best way to picture your new garage door!
If you would prefer, have a look at our image gallery for inspiration.
When you’re ready…
Or if you still have some questions, get in touch with us at 705-254-6009, or come down to our showroom to view the entire range or doors and accessories. If you prefer, you can simply send us a request for an online quotation.
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