Three things decide a new garage door. The style should suit the house: raised-panel wood carriage doors for colonial and craftsman homes, vertical glass for modern ones. Insulation matters when there’s a bonus room above or the garage is finished, and may not when it’s neither. And the opener has to match the door: more horsepower and the right spring for a heavy door, a wall-mounted jackshaft where the ceiling is blocked, a belt drive under a room.
Your garage door is a functional, mechanical and visual asset to your home’s value and your enjoyment of your home. If your garage doors are front facing, they often represent more than half of the curb appeal. If they are installed properly they make your life much easier in any type of weather. If they break down they create headaches for getting your groceries in or getting to work on time. You should invest wisely in a good garage door.
What style garage door should you choose?
The first thing to consider when buying a new garage door is the style. There are many different styles of doors to choose from, ranging in materials and design that can be stylishly incorporated into your home’s exterior decorating scheme. If you have an older house with colonial or craftsman architecture, then traditional wood raised panel carriage-house doors are appropriate. If you have a more modern house, you should consider glass panels in a vertical pattern. The possibilities are as vast as your imagination.
Our pages on wood garage doors and doors with glass show both, on houses we’ve done.
Should I insulate my garage door?
The second thing you should consider is the insulation. Newer garage doors are typically insulated with polyurethane foam, and this will help to keep your home more energy efficient. Choosing a high-quality door that can resist moisture as well as cold air drafts is essential in preventing ice dams on exterior walls of your house or keeping bonus rooms above the garage comfortable year round. On the other hand, you may not need insulation at all if you have an unfinished garage and no room above it.
What type of garage door opener should I get?
The third thing you should consider is the door’s function. If you use your garage door often, you need a good garage door opener. The heavier the garage door, the more horsepower you need (and you need the right spring so you do not wear out the motor too early). If you have an obstruction in the ceiling and room to the side of your garage door, a jack shaft motor is the right call. It will mount on the wall next to your garage door. If you have a room above your garage, you need a belt drive opener. The options for accessories are as varied as what it does for your home: a keyed entry, a push-button opener with automatic lights, or even an automated garage door that will open on its own when your car approaches and close behind you after driving in.
More on that on our garage door openers page.
Why should I choose Kingdom Doors?
With so many choices, you don’t want to rely on a company who is too busy throwing up 1,000 of the same exact doors in subdivisions. Chad has been doing garage doors for over 25 years and has seen just about every type of door under the sun. And Clay has been around garage doors as far back as he can remember, and has a mechanical engineering mind. So if you are in Franklin, Brentwood or anywhere in Williamson County, you can’t do better than these professional door guys.
Do I need a new door at all?
If you aren’t sure if you need a new door, think about these questions:
- Do you have children or pets?
- Are your doors old and in disrepair?
- Is there an obstruction to the opening of your garage that blocks visibility from the outside? If so, is it fixed permanently, like trees, or temporarily, with things like furniture?
Let us help you make a plan to keep your home beautiful and secure, whether you need a new door or just help repairing your existing one.
First published June 14, 2018. Chad’s “over 25 years” were counted that year; he started in 1994.