Selecting a garage door for your home used to be a simple and straightforward process until a few years ago but that is not the case anymore. Today, garage doors of different designs, styles, and materials are available aplenty in the market. As a result, some customers may find the process of choosing a garage door to be very frustrating.
The garage door, as it is a large front piece that is connected to your home, will certainly affect the overall appeal of your house. This means that the garage door you choose should be able to compliment the style and design of your house. So, you will need to spare a quality amount of your time and think about it thoroughly before making a final buying decision. In addition to that, you must also try to keep the following points in your mind when you are shopping for a garage door.
Types of Garage Door
Custom, semi-custom, and stock garage doors are the most popular options available to you. Stock garage doors come with pre-fabricated units, which mean that they can be easily installed. Moreover, they are the cheapest type of garage doors, which makes them ideal for budget shoppers. However, most stock garage doors are plain and they do not have many features or designs.
On the other hand, semi-custom garage doors heavily rely on pre-assembled hardware and parts. However, what makes them a better choice than stock doors is that they come with several features. For instance, most semi-custom garage doors contain reinforced door framing and side window panels.
Finally, custom garage doors are built to meet the different requirements of customers. If you are a person who wishes to incorporate stained wood paneling, split door opening, and more features to your door, then it is best to design a custom garage door by seeking the help of reliable garage door repair technicians. However, the downfall is that cost of building a custom garage door may get a little bit expensive.
Garage Door Styles
Picking the right style for your garage door is one of the simplest ways that will help you to considerably increase the curb appeal of your home. Raised or traditional panel garage doors are undoubtedly one of the most popular garage door styles out there. You can make a few customizations in the garage door design to suit the unique character of your home. Traditional panel garage doors are made of wood, steel, and vinyl, and they are a cost-effective option.
Carriage house garage doors are also another popular garage door style that several homeowners love. The four corner bracketing and the handles at the center of the door bring a rustic look, which reminds you of the historic carriage home doors. These types of garage doors, which are usually made of wood and steel, are relatively a bit expensive.
Homeowners who are looking for a garage door that will perfectly match with the modern aesthetic style of their home will instantly fall in love with contemporary garage doors. These types of garage doors, which are made of unconventional materials, do not contain any windows. The price of contemporary garage doors is also a bit high when compared to traditional panel garage doors.
Garage Door Materials
Another interesting thing homeowners should note is that garage doors of different materials are also available to customers. Steel, wood, aluminum, fiberglass, and wood composite are the widely used materials for making garage doors. Steel garage door is immensely popular among customers due to their reasonable price and high durability. In addition to that, steel garage doors also require less maintenance and they can be painted as per the desires of homeowners.
Aluminum garage doors are a lot similar to steel garage doors when it comes to some characteristics. However, the major difference is that aluminum is a lot lighter when compared to steel. Due to this, aluminum garage doors might not be as durable as steel garage doors. However, customers still love to buy aluminum garage doors because they are relatively less expensive.
If you are a person who loves traditional materials and styles, then wood garage doors will be the ideal choice available to you. Garage door manufacturers usually design wood doors in a wide variety of styles and designs. So, you will be easily able to find the right type of wood garage door that suits your home. The major downfall of wood garage doors is that they require high maintenance.
Conclusion
Garage doors contain several mechanical parts, which mean that these units are prone to damages and other issues. Most of the reputed garage door manufacturers usually offer a warranty with their products. So, you will need to ensure that the garage door you are purchasing comes with such protections. This is because it will help you to repair or even replace the garage door if anything goes wrong within the warranty period.