Garage Doors
Cost, Style, Material and More
Garage doors can account for up to a third of your home’s front exterior and it determines the first impression of your home. Garage improvement adds the value of your home and is a popular home improvement project that needs careful planning. Whether you’re looking to replace or remodel your garage door, it can often be an unfamiliar territory to most homeowners. Below I will discuss all you will need to know to get you started in your quest for a new garage door.
Garage Door Cost
Garage doors don’t have to be an expensive investment. The cost is based on size, material, insulation levels, decorative elements, horsepower and features of your garage door opener. A garage door will cost anywhere from $200 for single doors to $4,000 for two or more doors, with better materials accounting for the higher cost. The total price of a garage door usually includes a new track for the door to move along, as well associated adhesives, connectors and fasteners.
Garage Door Size
Prior to commencing your journey for a new garage door, you must first measure your garage’s opening. Figuring out the size of your garage’s opening will make it easier in determining the cost of your garage door, style and the materials that are best going to work for you.
Garage Door Material
Four main types of material for your garage door are steel, aluminum, wood, and composite wood. Steel has the widest range of options in color, insulation and price. Steel is a very durable option, as it doesn’t warp or crack. The only downside to steel is that it can dent. Aluminum is more of a modern look for your garage door. Aluminum is rust-resistant and extremely lightweight, but is more susceptible to dent than steel. Wood is much more expensive and has higher maintenance requirements. Wood can easily be painted or stained to give it your most desired look. Also, wood doors can be easily repaired and are very durable. Composite wood is a great alternative to real wood because it is durable and low-maintenance. Composite wood doors often have a steel interior and a faux wood composite overlay.
Garage Door Insulation
When shopping for a garage door you should consider insulation. Insulation helps to prohibit air seepage, heat transfer, health threats, and most importantly, it saves unnecessary energy costs. A few types of insulation are batt insulation, blown-in insulation and foam board.
Garage Door Style
There are a few features that you should consider that can increase the elegance of your garage door, such as hardware, windows, and paneling. There are two kinds of garage door styles that are very common today. The older style, tilt-up garage doors are popular in older homes. Tilt up models consist of a single panel door that pivots out and up, sliding in a single section along the ceiling of your garage. The second style is section roll up garage doors. Sectional roll up garage doors are made of four or more horizontal sections, hinged together, and mounted with rollers on tracks so that the door can roll straight up and back. This style allows for the door to take up much less space, both when it comes to head room in the garage when retracted, and when opened up by garage door openers in the driveway. Another style is the sliding style, it offers two doors that slide along a track at the top of the garage opening.
Garage Door Openers
Last but not least, you need a garage door opener. You need to choose if you want your garage door to open by belt drives, screw drives, or chain drives. All door openers usually have a manual emergency release and sensors that prevent the door from shutting if something is in the way. There are additional features such as disabling the opener while your away, battery backup that can open the door when the power is out, and wireless keypads that allow you to open the door from the outside without a remote control.
A new garage door brings you a solid return on your investment, improves functionality, enhances the appearance of your home’s exterior, and ensures the protection of both your home’s entryway and the contents of your garage. If you are in the Baltimore, Virginia or Washington area, contact a garage door professional for any installation or repair needs.