A Beginner's Guide to Choosing a Residential Garage Door

When your home needs a new garage door, you want to take the time to shop around and compare different styles and materials; a garage door may be more important than you realise, as it offers protection from cold, wind, and other inclement weather. It can also add to, or detract from, your home's curb appeal. Note a few tips to help guide you through the buying process for a residential garage door.

1. Layers

Most garage doors are made of steel, but this doesn't mean they're all alike in quality and thickness. This steel is often constructed in layers; a single layer door is often very thin and lightweight. It may be affordable but may also offer little by way of insulation for the garage, making it a poor choice if you work in the garage or want to protect an expensive car from cold weather.

Double and triple layers are better choices for insulation from a garage door; these will have a layer of an insulating material, usually polyurethane, as a backer. Triple layer doors will have one more layer, behind the insulator, to help protect it and add to the insulation of the garage door. These added layers also keep the door stable against high winds, so you're less likely to hear it rattling during a storm. While they may be more expensive, they can also be a better choice for most homes that need that added insulation.

2. Appearance

Don't overlook the appearance of a garage door when shopping. Consider windows to break up the look of the door and keep it from seeming too industrial. Opt for a complimentary colour to your home's exterior, rather than just grey or white. These small touches may not add much to the cost of a garage door, but they can add quite a bit to your home's appearance!

3. Opener style

A single-panel garage door that swings out and then rolls up onto the ceiling can be the most cumbersome to open, if you need to do so by hand. Remember that you might install an electric opener but if it should fail, you need to open that garage door manually until you get it fixed, so be aware of its weight with a single panel. A roller door can be a better choice; the weight is dispersed over the length of the door as you open it. It also allows for more control over how far you want to open it, such as when working in the garage and only needing a bit of fresh air while still keeping the door partially closed.