Your garage door is past its best and it’s time to invest in a new model. But what exactly should you be looking for in a garage door?
These days, there are so many different styles and materials to choose from that it can be a little bit overwhelming.
To make your decision a little easier, we’ve come up with, what we think are, the four most important factors you should consider when shopping for a new garage door.
Style
Garages, especially adjoining ones, take up a significant amount of your home’s façade, and the wrong choice could really stick out like a sore thumb. You should be looking for a door that fits with your home’s style. For example:
- If you have a traditional, bungalow style (Craftsman) home, you should go with a door that has a similar look, with classic embossed designs.
- If you have a contemporary or modern style home, you should go for a contemporary garage door, with clean lines and windows, or maybe even a fully windowed door.
- If you have a country, carriage‑house style home, you should go for a door similar to the arched carriage doors seen in the 1950s.
Don’t forget: Garaga carries 23 different styles, so you’re bound to find the right fit for your home, and you can even choose from a range of decorative windows that will make your garage stand out. And if you don’t see anything that suits your fancy, you can always get one custom made!
Insulation and weather-seals
If, like many people, you spend a lot of time in your garage, or if your garage door is the main point of entry to your home, you really need to buy a door with sufficient insulation and proper weather-seals.
A properly insulated and weatherproof door will keep your garage 10-20°F warmer than a low or non-insulated door. This means that the precious heat that builds up in your garage won’t seep out and leave you shivering while you’re trying to hammer together your latest DIY project. And more importantly, cold humid air from your garage won’t seep into your home.
Maintenance
Unless you particularly like having to work on the upkeep of your garage door, re-sanding and re-staining it every two years, or having to paint it regularly, you probably want to invest in a low maintenance door.
While wooden doors are extremely attractive, they require a lot more maintenance than galvanized steel metal garage doors that come with baked on paint-exteriors and that can resist temperature fluctuations.
Don’t overlook the maintenance you’ll need to carry out on the other components of the garage door system. You should be looking for a product that lasts at least 20 years. Make sure your garage door specialists explain why they recommend each product, and never consider buying anything that requires maintenance you’re simply not willing to take on.
Does it fit with your home?
Nowadays, thanks to technological advances, most garage door manufactures have tools on their websites where you can “try before you buy”. We have our own Design Centre where you can see what your chosen garage door will look like before you buy it.
You can either simply design a garage door according to the size you need, selecting different models and adding in windows. Or, you can select a photo of a home similar to yours, or even better, upload a photo of your home, and select your preferred model and accessories.
Once you’ve finished designing, you can download the image to your computer and share it with friends and family. If you’re more pressed for time, have a look at our image gallery for inspiration.
If you’re ready to start shopping…
Or if you have any questions, give us a call at 519-326-5888. If you would rather speak to someone in person, come down to our showroom where a specialist will show you the complete range available and help you make the best choice. You can also send us a request for a quotation online.
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