Tips & Advice When Purchasing a Garage Door

There are many benefits to replacing your old garage door. In the cases of many attached-garage homes, the garage door makes up a large portion of your home’s exterior. Not only will a new garage door boost your curb appeal, it will also increase your home’s security and can help to reduce the transfer of heat or cold air into your home. The first step to purchasing a new garage door is a choosing the style and material of the door. “Some of the things I ask customers to start the process is if they have a particular style or colour in mind,” said Rebecca Woodall, residential sales expert at Creative Door. “Are they looking for a standard steel door or something more decorative with windows to give their home a more distinctive look to improve curb appeal?” Garage doors come in a multitude of styles, offering different panel patterns, colours, windows and decorative hardware. The manufacturers that supply products to Creative Door often have design centres on their websites. Not only does this allow homeowners to browse styles and colours, these interactive online tools also allow you to upload a picture of your home and try out different garage doors onto your existing home so you can find the look you like the best.

While you are choosing the style of your garage door, you also need to consider the door’s material. The typical options are steel, real wood or fibreglass. “The majority of homeowners select a steel door insulated with polyurethane,” said Woodall. “It requires little to no maintenance, is durable and affordable.” Wooden doors have that rustic and traditional charm, but require annual maintenance and don’t fare as well in Canada’s winter climate. Fibreglass is as low maintenance as steel and can be manufactured to have the appearance of wood if you desire that rich textured look without the work. Both wood and fibreglass garage doors are more expensive than steel doors. “We also ask homeowners whether their garage is attached to the house or if it is heated. If it is attached to your home you want your garage door to have a high r-value so it minimizes the amount of heat or cold that will escape into your house depending on the season,” advised Woodall. She also mentions that if your garage is not heated but is insulated, the garage door should be able to match that insulation value to protect your vehicle(s) from the harsh weather. The Process The best place to start when looking for a garage door is either online or by visiting a showroom to look at samples and colour chips. Once you’ve talked to a professional garage door installation company and decided on the type of door you would like to purchase, they will send someone to your site to measure your door space. This will ensure they are quoting on the correct size of door and if there will be any additional labour required during installation. Once you are provided with a firm quote your installation date will be scheduled. Woodall estimated a wait time of five to six weeks from the time you place your order. The door will then be installed and you can start realizing the benefits! For more information on selecting, purchasing and installing your new garage door, please contact us.

Article courtesy of our friends at RenovationFind.ca's March blog post.


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