Garage doors serve several functions other than just providing a portal to the garage area. They can protect the interior contents from weather, offer added security, and contribute to the aesthetics of your home. There are various styles, colors, materials, and insulation capabilities of garage doors available. Finding the right one for you will depend on your needs, wants, and type of structure. Let’s look at several features you should consider when reviewing garage doors.
Garage Door Types
When shopping, you’ll find there are six main garage door types: tilt-up, sectional, roll-up, sliding, swing-out, and bifold. Here’s a little you should know about each of them:
- Tilt-up — This type of door requires space in the front of the garage since the bottom of the gate slides out when it’s opened. Tilt-up doors are affordable and known for their reliability.
- Sectional — Sectional garage doors will open vertically, underneath the ceiling. Excellent sound insulation, thermal insulation, strength, and safety are among the benefits of this door type. The ratings for this type of door are excellent for many types of homes.
- Roll-up — For homes where it is not possible to install lifting sectional doors, the roll-up offers a solution. Roll-up garages also provide thermal and sound insulation.
- Sliding — These types of doors move to the side, instead of upward. Sliding garage doors are the oldest type and are particularly when the ceiling area is to be utilized for storage.
- Swing-out — Also known as carriage-house style, these doors work like a standard door inside a home.
- Bifold — More uncommon, the bifold operates by accordion-folding to the side. They’re typically made of wood and run on a rail.
Garage Door Materials
Garage doors can be made with different materials. Here are some of the common materials and garage door ratings for each of them.
- Steel — The most common material for garage doors, steel is low-cost, low-maintenance, and also durable. Garage doors made with galvanized steel won’t bend, crack, or corrode.
- Wood — Wooden garage doors are inexpensive, durable, eco-friendly, and look stylish. Oak, maple, birch, and larch are the most common types of lumber used for garage doors.
- Aluminum — This material’s features are similar to steel’s. Since aluminum is highly flexible, there are many possibilities for shaping it and painting it different colors.
- Fiberglass — Less common than the other three, fiberglass must be maintained regularly to prevent traces and cracks, lowering the garage door ratings for this material.
Garage Door Insulation
Aside from garage door types and material, you’ll need to determine how to insulate your garage. Garage doors are rated by its R-value. This is a measurement that’s used to express the resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more effective the materials used to make the door are at stopping heat loss. The flow of heat is stopped by insulation materials.
Reflective insulation foil is a flexible insulating sheet that’s about 12.5 mm thick. Another option is expanded polystyrene. This material is rigid and sold in sheets. It has higher insulating properties than reflective insulation foil.
How to Choose the Right Size
The best way to determine the size that you need is to measure the existing door of a home. If the garage doesn’t have a door, you should measure the opening’s width and height carefully. The spacing above the opening should also be checked to ensure that garage tracks can be added.
We’re Here to Help
In the market for a new garage door, or looking for a home with just the right one? First Centennial Mortgage is here to help with your home financing needs. Contact us today to talk to one of our mortgage loan officers and move one step closer to parking yourself comfortably in a new home.