We all want our homes to look as nice as possible on the inside for our own enjoyment. But when it comes to maximizing the value of your home curb appeal is very important. In addition to choosing the right kinds of siding materials, shingles and Windows, the doors come in for special emphasis.
If you think about it the doors make up a significant portion of the external square footage of your home. When you add together the front back and side doors and enter when those huge garage doors you realize that the selections you make are not only aesthetic choices but can also have a huge impact on energy consumption.
And when it comes to garage doors you’re going to have a number of factors to consider.
- Material. To make sure that your door is going to be relatively maintenance free and resistant to dents and scratches the best choice is usually steel. While would give a decorative and may fit better into the overall homes design it is subject to aging cracking tests and paint peeling.
- You want to take a look at the different types of garage doors available as well. You get hinged garage doors that open like barns built barn doors, but most people opt for retractable overhead doors.
- Obviously, you’re going to want your new garage door to have multiple remote controls for opening and closing from within your vehicle.
- The opening and closing mechanism should be fast quiet and sturdy. Be sure to check the manufacturers warranty as well because this part of your garage door is going to see a lot of wear and tear.
- Remember to take into consideration the windows in your insulated garage doors. A lot of people overlook this factor, but if your garage is going to be used as a workshop where the occasional extra family room for parties especially in inclement weather the amount of light that the doors lead in will be a consideration.
- Energy efficiency should also be factored in. And by this we don’t mean simply how well that your new garage door is insulated. There are also other factors to consider. What is the rating on the garage door motor? Does it meet the latest energy efficiency standards? How about the lighting? Does it come with high efficiency compact fluorescent bulbs.
- Installation — installing an insulated garage door is not a project for the faint of heart. These devices are large and heavy, and proper alignment and set up of the various moving parts and the door itself is crucial. You may want to leave this to a professional.
- Don’t stop before yo uare finished! The borders of your door need looking at too. Make sure you have quality weatherstripping and a new garage door seal with threshhold (if needed) installed as well.
Replace this with a new insulated garage door!
In the end, the choice you make will depend on the factors above as well as cost and other considerations that are specific to your home and family. Simply do your homework and check references on your insulation company and you should end up with a beautiful new garage door system that was served you and your family well for years to come.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Could you do something about pre-insuladed doors? I mean, this is interesting and all, but why not just buy a door with insulation to start with?
Hey Tom, I am finally getting around to this. We have been spending a lot of time recently on the insulation kits, but I have been looking at some of the newer insulated garage doors out there, and it seems as if there are some really good offerings, even if you want to go for a wooden door! I will have an article up here shortly addressing this.