How to Choose a Garage Door
Factors to Consider When Buying a Garage Door
Aesthetics- Most people don’t consider the fact that a garage door represents 25-40% of your homes exterior that is visible from the street. Therefore it cannot be underestimated the importance of choosing a garage door that represents your homes style, colors and adds general curb appeal. Whether it is windows, color, panel types, decorative hardware etc. can all have a big impact on the look of your home
Insulation “R” Values
- Uninsulated- A garage door with no internal insulation
- Vinyl Back Insulated- A garage door with insulation and a vinyl back
- Steel back Insulated- A garage door with insulation and a steel back.
- Injected Insulation with Steel Back- Insulation is injected and provides optimal insulated value (Thermacore Garage Doors)
Generally when this plays a big factor is if you have rooms above your garage. It does not serve you well to insulate your home and then have a non insulated garage door that will lead to higher energy costs when rooms are above the garage. Also if you plan on using your garage as some type of workshop that you will heat or cool the same issues play a factor. Generally for Utah’s climate we generally recommend the steel back insulated as sufficient to keep your home insulated.
Durability- Garage doors are a big investment. You’ve heard it before, ‘You get what you pay for’ If you pay for a $200 door, you’re going to get a $200 door and quite possibly be frustrated. A garage door has more moving parts than anything else on your home. Things to consider with durability include; does it have Cheap steel (door panels, hinges and track), steel or nylon rollers, size and cycle life of springs, types of springs, how many springs, and type of paint finish. Buy a good quality garage door. Not only will they last longer, they will generally work better.
Generally a steel backed garage door is going to be your most durable door. It is much quieter, smoother, and the most durable from denting if it gets run into by a bike or hit by a ball etc.
Maintenance- As far as exterior maintenance a wood garage door will require painting or restaining as often as you would need to paint your house. Steel garage doors with baked on finish are virtually maintenance free. Generally a good garage door with good hardware will be virtually maintenance free for many years. Lower end garage doors sometimes can become unbalanced, twist, or come out of alignment which a garage door technician may be needed to fix.
Other Factors- Some garage doors offer special safety features like pinch resistant panels etc.
All these can be factors in choosing a garage door. At Utah Garage Door Outlet, we try to sell good garage doors at the best prices we can. We understand everyones situation is different. No matter what your budget is we will try to find something that will work for you.