Depending on the size of your home, a garage door can represent between 30 and 40 percent of the exterior of your home. This means choosing and installing the right garage door is an important decision, not only in terms of cost, but in terms of appearance and functionality.
What considerations go into your purchase?
There are many considerations to take into account when installing a new garage door include the color, finish, and composition of the door, the strength and durability of the track, the insulation R value, and whether or not there is a warranty available. Check with the installer and manufacturer for warranty information.
Since the garage door is such an extensive part of the appearance of the front of your house, you want a door that provides aesthetic value to the appearance of your home. They come in a variety of colors and styles to complement your home. Some styles available include raised panel, flushed, elongated, and ribbed. The compositional materials include fiberglass, wood, aluminum, steel, and composite materials. The choice you make regarding these materials depends not only upon the appearance you want to achieve, but the size of your budget and the functionality you want to achieve with your new addition.
Steel or Wood?
Should you choose a steel or other type of metal or wood door? This depends, again, on the purpose you wish to achieve. Wooden doors are often more attractive, less utilitarian in appearance, but they can offer more maintenance challenges than a steel door. Wood doors need to be painted, while steel doors do not. Also, steel doors typically have longer warranties and can be insulated.
What is the R value?
The R value is the measure of resistance of specific building insulation materials. In the case of garage doors, this boils down to choosing either polystyrene or polyurethane for your insulation. Polystyrene has an R value of 2 per inch while polyurethane rates at 4. Despite the lower rating, many construction experts recommend polystyrene because it is waterproof, where polyurethane is an open cell foam subject to water damage. Closed cell foam alternatives for polyurethane can be used, but they are typically more expensive, making polystyrene an obvious choice for insulation.
Your new or replaced garage door will be a large addition to your home, so considering both form and functionality is an essential part of making a your purchase.