A Beginners Guide To Garage Doors
Garage doors are a surprisingly important yet often overlooked feature of most homes. In straightforward terms of visual impact, garage doors can easily consume 20% or more of the total frontage to a house - which means that garage doors can affect your homes value quite significantly.
When considering replacing (or installing) garage doors there are a few points to bear in mind. Firstly the type of material which will likely be one of three main groups.
These days the most common garage doors are made of metal, with about 80% of the US and Canada markets. Metal doors are invariably steel or aluminium, with the trade off that aluminium is lighter but steel is cheaper. In either case they benefit from a coat of suitable outdoor metal paint, but should otherwise require little in the way of maintenance. Note though that metal doors dent and buckle relatively easily, detracting from their appearance and impairing their operation.
Doors made from synthetic materials such as fibre-glass and vinyl have the benefit of being both lightweight and touch. They too can be painted (though are sometimes already pre-treated to a certain colour) and are on the whole better able to withstand general dents and scuffs than their metal counterparts. They can last ten or more years but the material will eventually degrade due to ultra-violet light.
Wood garage doors obviously date back to the first ever garages and this heritage is apparent in their timeless, classic appearance. Wood, being a natural material, is attractive, versatile and straightforward to maintain, and can take either paint or stain to blend in with existing wood features such as windows and doors.
As you would expect for a wood based product, quality is determined by the type of wood used and also by whether it is a solid timber construction or manufactured from composites (compressed fibers and laminates). Needless to say then, the price is also liable to vary quite dramatically, but at the end of the day quality has its price and most folk are agreed that wooden garage doors are best type available.
Second you should consider where to source your chosen type of door. As with many major household items, a quality original product installed by competent fitters will ensure years of trouble free enjoyment. Accordingly, you would be well advised to check for references of previous installations and evidence that your supplier has been around a while, has a reputation worth protecting and offers reasonable warranties and after-sales support in the event that anything should go awry.
You can buy garage doors from larger DIY stores or general door and window businesses or from garage door specialists. Like many big-ticket items though (kitchens for example) how well your doors will perform and last will ultimately depend as much on the competence of the installers as on the garage doors themselves. A garage door specialist with experience of many different installations will be able to ensure that everything looks and works right from the outset and continues that way for years to come.
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Tagged With custom design, custom garage doors, custom wooden garage doors, doors, garage, Garage Door, garage doors, garage remodelling, home, home improvement, house design, metal garage door, steel garage doors, wooden garage doors
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