How to Select the Right Garage Door
Finding the right garage door to fit perfectly in the structural opening and still meet all your personal requirements is not easy. You have a lot to think in terms of materials, hardware, openers, and types. Do you want a residential or commercial door? Application makes a difference to your decision since the options differ too. And last but not least, you must consider the new garage door installation service. Improper fitting or faulty assembly will lead to several problems.
What are your options before home garage door installation?
If you want a new garage door for your home, you must take into consideration the current architectural style. Increasing the curb appeal is one of the reasons for garage door replacement. This is very important if you like to sell the house in a few years and thus increase its value. A reliable garage door will make a great difference. But is aesthetics the only reason for new garage door installation? Certainly not. Enhancing security is also a good reason for starting looking around for new options. Which are those? Let’s see.
- Residential garage door types range from sectional to one-piece and rollup doors. The most popular ones? Overhead doors. Why? They can include windows, provide thermal insulation, and won’t occupy too much space.
- Which material to pick? The most common ones are: steel, wood, aluminum, and glass. You can also get vinyl and composite doors. Their differences?
- Steel garage doors are very strong but it will also depend on gauge. The lower the number of steel gauge the stronger the door.
- Wood garage doors are warm and elegant, but expensive. They can also provide insulation but not as much as steel doors. Their downside is that they might warp and rot especially in moisture areas and need frequent coatings.
- Aluminum is an excellent material because it is very resistant to elements but not to dents. Aluminum doors don’t cost as much as their other counterparts and they are lightweight. But they are not very sturdy.
- Glass doors are extremely classy and will bring more light to your garage. They make an excellent choice when you use the space for other activities too. They can also provide insulation and usually have aluminum frames.
- Vinyl doors are also a good choice but if you hit them hard, they will crack.
- Composite materials are great for those who want to avoid frequent garage door maintenance.
The special commercial garage doors
When it comes to commercial garage doors, your priorities change. You might still want to pay attention to aesthetics but what’s important here is security. That’s why most commercial doors are metal. Why high security is essential in commercial properties? You need to protect workers, visitors, the working area, valuables, and your goods. For the same reasons, you might also need to choose fire rated doors. But let’s take things from the beginning.
Commercial doors are either sectional or rollups. The former choice is important when you want to install windows too and/or want thermal efficiency. Many facilities seeking high levels of security choose rolling doors. These come out as rollups, shutters, and grilles. They might include a release mechanism for automatic operation during a fire or might be traffic doors in applications where continuous opening and closing cycles are important.
Thermal efficiency or not?
One major question today is whether or not to get garage doors which provide thermal efficiency. In many commercial facilities, this is important for the company’s products. As for homes, it has to do with whether or not the garage attaches to the house and whether or not you use the garage for other activities as well. In such cases, it’s best if you prefer energy efficient doors. If it comes to that, you must select the right r-value. This is the measurement of thermal insulation. The higher the number the better. But make no mistake. If you choose an r-16 door, it won’t double the insulation of an r-8 door. It will just increase it.
And then you have to consider the materials. Polyurethane is often better than polystyrene because it spreads better throughout the cavity of the door panels and provides higher insulation.
But keep in mind that the energy efficiency of the garage also depends on the weather seals. If they wear or leave a gap, you will lose energy.
Garage door opener choices
When you get a new garage door, it’s best to get a new opener too. And the weight of the door will allow you to decide whether to get a motor with ½, ¾, or 1 horsepower. The heavier the door the stronger the motor should be. And there are even stronger ones for really heavy doors. And then there is the choice of AC and DC motors. The latter is the latest technology and makes the door more silent. Many DC openers include a soft start and stop feature and so even chain drive garage door openers are not very loud.
There is always a lot to consider before replacing the garage door. But new garage door installation is also vital. Any mistake will question your security, comfort, and safety. So contact A+ Garage Doors for proper service.