When it comes to making a determination on what garage door is most suitable for the homeowner or commercial property owner, some factors should be taken into consideration when shopping around for just the right garage door. Among important variables to consider include the garage door construction and design, garage door styles, the material composition of the door, and even climate considerations.
Appearance
Appearance, quite naturally, may be the number one consideration people make when looking at garage doors. In a residential setting, the garage door can make up 1/3, or even more, of the entire front facade of the house. An attractive garage door that matches the style of the home can greatly enhance the appearance of the home. A poorly chosen garage door can truly be an eyesore, and can detract from what is otherwise a very attractive view of the home.
Just as there are a wide variety of different style homes, there are a variety of garage door styles that can nicely complement that home’s style. Traditional doors come in a number of different styles, with manufacturers offering styles specific to the style of the home. Numbers of options are available in American home styles, which include colonial, cape, victorian, craftsman, ranch, and many others. Likewise, there are a variety of doors that would look great on European-style homes, such as Tudor, Mediterranean, French provincial, and Spanish, among others. These doors can be specially ordered, and come in a variety of materials and colors.
Carriage doors go for the look of doors found on old carriage houses. This is a very classic, attractive look that even looks great on contemporary homes. They traditionally swing open manually from the center, but modern carriage doors can also feature models that can fold open with automatic openers.
Raised-panel doors are perhaps one of the most common garage doors people see, and think of first when initially considering garage door options. Fiberglass is perhaps the most common material used in these doors, but raised-panel doors are also made of wood, aluminum, and steel.
Contemporary doors may be considered a bit of a bolder look in some cases if the door is made of clear, tinted, or frosted tempered glass panels housed in a painted aluminum frame. Modern contemporary doors feature clean lines, high-end materials, and match up very well with the style of the home.
Smaller garage doors are often made of one single panel, which tilts up, back across the garage ceiling. Larger doors are composed of several jointed panels. These too can open up and extend across the garage ceiling, or what’s becoming more commonly seen now, they can roll up above the doorway. Opening mechanisms in these doors can be spring-loaded, or counterbalanced to reduce the garage door opener or human effort to operate the door by offsetting the weight of the door.
Construction
The garage door construction and design, in terms of the material composition of the garage door, is significant, and depending on the specific needs of the customer, can be a very determining factor in which type door to choose. With options in doors coming in steel, aluminum, fiberglass, wood, and wood composite, there is a tremendous variety here. Considerations in the composition of the door can include: cost, weight, overall appearance, insulation considerations, noise abatement concerns, and others. This can very well be one of the biggest considerations customers have to examine very closely. If a decision can be made on what material of door suits the customer the best, then the rest of their search may fall into place much more nicely and quickly.
Find out more in our Guide to Garage Door Types and Styles
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