A good garage door will last for decades, maybe even your whole life. That is why it is worth investing a little more time and effort to make the best possible choice and avoid cheap low-quality garage doors. Here are ways to do just that.
Get a Personal Offer
Ordering garage doors over the phone or online is problematic. Each garage is slightly different, and a competent salesman checks details such as the size and shape of the opening, the height of the lintel and the side clearance, and even helps in making design decisions. This way, if something goes wrong, there is no doubt whose fault it is. So make sure the seller comes to your home and checks the situation before ordering the door.
Update Your Insulation
If you plan to buy insulated doors because you want to save energy or keep your garage warm, you should spend about 15 to 20% more on upgrading extruded polystyrene for polyurethane insulation. The insulating effect of a garage door is its R-value. The higher the number, the better it insulates. Polyurethane, for example, increases the insulation value from R-9 to R-18.
Get a Garage Door with Sound Insulation
If you have an attached garage and want a quieter sound when opening and closing the garage door, choose a door with a polyurethane insulation and nylon rollers. Garage door insulation inhibits any vibrations that are normally amplified by uninsulated steel. Nylon rollers are actually quieter than rollers made from metal. If the garage door opener is also to be changed, look for a belt-driven opener. They are quieter than any other types.
Purchase a New Garage Door Opener
A new door opener can be installed by the same person installing a new door. At some point, your opener will malfunction. So it is time to replace it if it is old or if you just want a quieter opener or one with more features. Replacing it as well as replacing the door will probably save you time and you may be able to negotiate a package for a new door and opener.
Do not Install your Garage Door Yourself
You can save several hundred dollars by installing the door yourself, but this is not advisable. To start with, there are many parts and it will take you a whole day to complete the assembly. In addition, winding the spring requires special tools and is quite dangerous. If you employ a professional to install the door, the new door will be delivered and the old one detached in no time. The work is done in a few hours. Besides, then you also have someone to call if there is a problem.
Consider Stronger Springs
Springs help your garage door slowly rise and fall. Most garage doors use torsion springs. Usually, you can see spiral torsion springs above the door. Normal torsion springs are designed to last an estimate of 10,000 cycles. It might sound a lot, but if you open and close the door more than five times a day, which is quite normal you will get 10,000 cycles in less than five.
If you spend a few additional dollars on the purchase of a new garage door, you could get a spring for 20,000 cycles, doubling the service life for a few dollars more.
Select the Look of your Door from an Expert’s Website
When buying garage doors, you don’t have to guess what the specific style and color of the door is necessary for your home when you begin searching online. Most manufacturers have software on their website that allows you to download the images of their garage door and parts. This way, you can choose the style of the door, apply the desired design functions, choose windows and colors, and even add equipment. You can play with different styles until you find the one you like. Then print the technical data to get an accurate price offer from your dealer so that you can find the garage door most suited to your budget and your home.
Avoid Wooden Garage Doors
Real wooden doors look great when they’re new. But they won’t look good for long if you don’t spend time and money on maintenance. It takes a few years for natural surfaces to need re-coating.
And if you wait too long, you need to sand the entire finish and start again to make your door look like new again. The good news is that you can get a wood ‘look’ at a fraction of the cost and avoid a maintenance nightmare. The cheapest option is pressed steel with wood grain. From a distance, these doors look very similar to real wood. If you’re ready to spend more, consider a fiberglass or wooden composite pad garage door. Composites ensure the appearance of real wood with the durability and stability of plastic when buying garage doors.