Your garage door is a really important part of your home; it takes up much of your home’s frontage so you certainly don’t want it to stick out like a sore thumb. Most homeowner’s look for a garage door that works well and is efficient, enhances their home’s appearance and that lasts for years to come. What’s more, your garage door is likely the largest piece of moving equipment in your home, so you need to look for a quality door that requires minimum maintenance.
But where do you start? Don’t worry if you’re feeling a bit lost, most people do. We understand that choosing a new garage door isn’t an easy task, that’s why we’ve compiled a list of five things we think you should consider before handing over any money.
Choices, choices, choices…
Let’s start with materials; garage doors are generally available in wood, metal and vinyl.
- Wooden garage doors have been around for the longest amount of time. The price of wooden doors varies immensely from wood composite doors right through to solid wood construction. Wooden doors a traditionally a popular choice as they can be stained or painted any color. But be warned, wooden doors require a substantial amount of maintenance.
- Next, we have metal doors (generally steel or aluminum), they are the most popular, accounting for 85% of the North American garage door market. Steel garage doors are the least expensive available, and come in a wide range of colors. People tend to opt for aluminum doors as they are lightweight. Both are insulated, require little maintenance and come in a range of styles from modern to classic.
- Finally, we have vinyl and fiberglass doors, which are significantly more expensive than the previous options (fiberglass doors are the most expensive available on the market). People tend to opt for these doors as they require zero maintenance and are even scratch-resistant. Although they are more expensive to begin with, their long-term cost is lower. Fiberglass doors are available in a range of styles made to look like solid wood.
Companies
Choosing a garage door company isn’t as straight-forward as looking one up on the internet and going with the first one you see. Unfortunately, the industry isn’t monitored in North America, meaning that there are many fly-by-night companies out there without adequate insurance and who don’t even pay their employees workers’ compensation. You should research companies properly and choose one that:
- is professional and courteous
- can provide you with customer testimonials upon request
- provides their technicians with uniforms and clean trucks
- is adequately insured
- provides you with written warranties for both parts and labour
The most important thing to consider is whether the company trains their technicians. There are more garage door related accidents in a year than there are lawnmower and snow blower accidents combined! Avoid accidents by hiring a company with properly trained technicians who are certified in safety procedures.
When to change your garage door
There are various reasons you might want to change your garage door, the most obvious being that it no longer works as it should. If your garage door has stopped functioning properly, you should replace it right away before it causes an accident and harms you or a member of your family.
Other reasons for replacing your garage door including wanting to improve your curb appeal and, if your garage door is a bit passed its best, to cut back on maintenance.
Where to purchase a garage door
As we’ve already mentioned, the industry is not well monitored and you need to carefully select who you do business with. We strongly believe that you should work with a garage door specialist. Specialists know the industry better than anyone and their installers can fit doors under the most difficult circumstances.
The company you choose will likely send a sales rep to your home, and/or invite you to their showroom to see their entire range. Specialists hire their own installers and technicians and so can guarantee both parts and labor. Most also have stock on site so your garage door can be installed in no time at all! Their motto is Quality work, time after time!
Understanding your warranty
It’s difficult to buy anything these days that doesn’t come with a warranty and garage doors are no different. You need to find out if your warranty covers all parts (e.g. decorative windows, insulation, sections, etc.) and labor. Most of the time you can easily see the exclusions by reading the small print. Make sure you understand your warranty before you sign anything.
One last note…
A garage door’s performance and durability depends just as much on the quality of the installation as it does on the quality of the product itself. If you’re going to invest in a new garage door, invest in a professional for its installation.
You can call us at 978-741-1600 if you have any questions about anything mentioned in this article. We strive to guarantee your satisfaction and can respond to service calls in just a few hours. If you prefer, send us a request for an online quote.
If you haven’t already had a play around with our Design Centre what are you waiting for? Upload a picture of your home and swap out different garage doors to see which one looks best.
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