Securing Your Garage Door

Posted on: 16 December 2022

People installing and replacing their homes' garage doors want to get the best value for the investment. If you're checking out options from a residential garage door supplier, it's a good idea to approach the purchase with these three criteria in mind.

Materials

Much of the long-term performance of residential garage doors depends on the materials. It is wise to match the materials to your use case. Someone who lives in an area that gets heavy wind storms should stick with a durable material like steel or fiberglass. Other factors can further narrow the choice. For example, a person with a coastal house might focus on fiberglass doors versus steel ones due to the risk of corrosion from the salty sea air.

Conversely, a resident of a low-risk area may prioritize looks. Wood doors can look amazing on the right house and add tons of curb appeal.

Operating Mechanisms

You are going to have to live with how the garage door functions. Especially if you're doing an initial installation, this is an opportunity to avoid problems. For example, carriage house-style doors can look impressive. However, they require room for the doors' opening mechanics. If you can't safely stop your car past the curb while you wait for the doors to open, then this setup is an invitation to an accident with part of your car sticking out onto the street.

The garage's clearance is also important. Some garages lack the necessary room for more than a couple of inches of clearance for the door. If you're dealing with this situation, make sure you take accurate measurements and recheck them. You don't want any surprises the first time you activate the door.

Folks replacing existing doors should look closely at the mounting mechanisms for their systems, too. You want to be sure that the rollers and drive for your new door will be a fit. Otherwise, you may need to also swap out the mechanical components to make the door work.

Appearance

Residential garage doors significantly affect the look of a house. Particularly if the garage is attached to the building or close to it, you'll want to have a stylistic match. If you have a very traditional-looking house, for example, a plain aluminum door might be an odd pairing. Fortunately, a residential garage door supplier can usually find a reasonable option because many products can imitate the look of other materials. For example, wood-plastic composites with steel cores can mimic the appearance of classic wood doors.