Neighborhood Garage Door Service: 6 Garage Door Buying Tips

Your garage door might have served you faithfully for years, but when you begin to hear squeaky noises and notice signs of wear and tear, then you know it’s time to take that trusty old door away and get new one.

How do you know what to look out for in your new garage door choice? Following these expert tips will help you make the right decision in your choice for a new garage door.

Security: Security should be uppermost in your mind when deciding on your garage door choice. This is the most important feature for most homeowners -- not the frills of the design, but the practicality of how much security it offers. Some garage door brands come with rolling code technology. This allows the code to change anytime a person uses it. This is a great feature to discourage burglars and thieves.
 

Safety: If you have pets or kids, buying a garage door with safety features is a good idea. Some garage doors come with sensors that can detect if a person or an object is in its path while closing. If it detects this, it will either stop or reverse.
 

Style: Garage doors come in different styles, designs and functionality. Do you want a garage door that blends in with the façade of your home? Or you want one that screams “hey! I’m different”?Do you want windows in the doors, or just a solid door all through?
 

Garage doors come in sectionals, roll up and tilt-up styles. Roll-ups units tend to be a bit more expensive than other unit types and they usually need more maintenance than the others. Sectional garage doors take up more ceiling space than roll up or tilt up, and they require regular maintenance to keep mechanical parts fully functional. Tilt-ups garage doors are made from one single panel that opens with a track mounted on the ceiling. Having an idea in mind will make it easier when requesting a quote from a garage door dealer. 

Material: Garage doors come made in different materials such as wood, steel, aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass.

---Wood is for people who want a more visual appeal. However, using wood for your garage door can be quite expensive and is not as durable as other materials. It requires a higher level of maintenance to keep it the way you want.

---Steel is the most popular of materials and least expensive. It comes in a wide range of options for colors, insulation and price. Steel is very durable and it offers an added level of security to your garage and home.

---Aluminum gives you a more modern looking door. It resists corrosion and rust and will work well in wet regions. But aluminum doors are lightweight and can dent very easily.

---Vinyl is a relatively new material used for garage doors. It is affordable, durable and requires low maintenance low maintenance although it can be prone to cracks and surface wear.

Insulation: Your garage is an extension of your home. A lot of people use part of their garage as storage areas, workplace and/or simply as space to keep seasonal items or an extra freezer. A lot of people also use their garage door as the main entrance into their home. Having a properly insulated garage door will impact your home's energy efficiency. Whenever you drive your vehicle into the garage during cold weather, the heat it gives off can be retained with an insulated door.

“The advantage of a properly insulated and weatherproof garage door is that it can store the accumulated heat. Cold or humid air won’t transfer every time you open the door between your home and garage,”says Jim of Neighborhood Garage Doors Service.

 All insulation type has an “R-value.” The higher the R-value, the better the insulation provided. As well as improving your home’s energy efficiency, insulating your garage doors also helps reduce the noise, it makes the door stronger and improves security and increases its durability.

 A properly insulated and weatherproof garage door can be warmer by as much as 150 degrees Fahrenheit than one that isn’t insulated.

 Cost: “Garage doors don’t have to be expensive,” Mike says further. “The price of your garage door is largely influenced by its style, quality, and the features you want in it,” he concludes. The good news, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report, is that a new garage door increases the value of a home by about $2800. Even though this increase in value is also determined by the location of the property, it is a good thing to note. An installer or dealer will be able to help you put together a quote that can work within the budget you have planned for your new garage door.
 

Replacing or getting a new garage door is something every homeowner with a garage must do. Now that you have these tips and know what to look for, making the choice for your new garage door will be much easier.