Quick Tips for Buying a New Garage Door for Your Home
Your home's garage door might not get much thought from you throughout the day, but it may be more important than you realize. The appearance of the door affects your home's curb appeal, and the garage can be a place where you lose heating and cooling throughout the year, adding to your energy bills. Note a few quick tips for buying a new garage door for your home when it's time to shop for a replacement.
1. Style
If you're in the market for a new garage door, why settle for a standard one-panel, dull metal door without much style? If you have a very traditional home, opt for wood carriage-style doors; these may have a peaked top and include faux oversized hinges for added visual appeal. You may not think of a roller door for your residential home but these can save on space, as they might roll into a housing unit right above the door and don't need room to swing open.
2. Insulation
A steel door can keep the garage secure but a solid steel door can be very heavy and very noisy to operate. You might instead opt for a steel door that contains polyurethane insulation inside two sheets of steel. This insulation will keep in your heating and cooling and also help to insulate the noise of the steel door opening and closing. Having an insulating insert between two sheets of steel also makes the door lighter than if you opted for solid steel alone, putting less pressure on the garage door parts and reducing the amount of maintenance and repairs it may need down the road.
3. Material
Other than steel, you might choose a fiberglass garage door as it can be very thin and allow interior light to show through; this gives your home added curb appeal as it seems as if the garage is glowing from the inside. However, fiberglass yellows over time and breaks easily. Aluminum is lightweight and relatively affordable but it does dent easily, so it might not be good if you have kids who play in the driveway and who may dent the door with basketballs, hockey pucks, and the like.
You may not think of a glass garage door for home but if you have a car you like to show off or appreciate sunlight while you work in the garage with the door closed, consider a glass garage door. These are made with strong safety glass such as you would see at a car dealership or auto shop.
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