4 Tips to buying a new garage door

1. What kind of door do you want?

Every house has a bit of character, so highlight it with the perfect garage door.  This is where your overhead door company can be a big help.
Once you figure out the look you're going for, evaluate these popular garage door styles and see what fits your budget:

Aluminum garage door: Rust-resistant aluminum is ideal for humid, caustic environments. Replace solid panels with frosted glass for a modern look. 

Steel garage door: Steel doors offer the broadest range of color, insulation, and price options. You can get anything from an entry level, single-layer, non-insulated door up to a premium three-layer, 2-inch polyurethane insulated door. 

Wood garage door: There’s no substitute for the distinctive look of wood. It’s typically made of moisture-resistant cedar, redwood or cypress and offers the most flexibility for custom designs. Depending on climate and exposure, wood doors require more maintenance. 

Composite wood garage door: A durable, low-maintenance material that looks like real wood, faux wood composite eliminates many of the drawbacks of natural material. It’s moisture-resistant, so it won’t rot, split, shrink, separate or crack. It’s insulated, and can be painted or stained. 


2. Should you buy an insulated garage door?

Most garages aren’t heated, but your garage door still impacts your home’s energy efficiency. Construction materials and insulation technologies for garage doors have improved significantly over the last five to 10 years. Today’s doors provide a tighter seal against the façade to keep out the elements.

If your garage is attached to the house, your best bet is to purchase an insulated door, especially if there’s an occupied room above the garage. It will help reduce both noise and the utility bills.

Also, consider the direction your door faces. If it’s baking in the sun all day or getting blasted by the wind, an insulated door will better regulate the temperature inside.



3. What’s the safety factor for the garage door?

If you live in a high wind or hurricane-prone area, make sure your garage door can withstand the elements.

“Because of their size, garage doors are more susceptible to wind damage than other exterior openings,” says Mark Westerfield, director of product development for residential garage door manufacturer Clopay.

Garage doors must have additional bracing, heavier gauge tracking and other necessary hardware to help keep them in place under extreme winds.



4. What else do I need to know before buying a garage door?

If you’ve never purchased a garage door before, here are some common misconceptions:

• Buying a garage door opener is a separate purchase — not included in the price of a new garage door. However, we can also supply you with a garage door opener to meet your needs.

• Interested in carriage house doors, but think you lack the room for doors that swing open? Not to worry! Carriage-house style doors only look like they swing open. They actually move up and down on a standard track, just like every other garage door.

• A garage door is a cost effective way to upgrade the look and style of your house for years to come!

Give Central Overhead Doors Red Deer a call, we are happy to help!

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