There are plenty of reasons you may be in the market for a new garage door.
Do any of these fit your situation?
Are you building a new home?
Are you updating your home’s exterior and the old garage door just doesn’t live up to the new look?
Did your 16-year-old daughter who has only had her license for a week back into your old one?
Hey, stuff happens.
Whatever the reason is that you find yourself garage door shopping, there’s a lot you need to think about before you make such an important purchase.
Don’t buy a garage door until you download our free Guide to Buying a Garage Door.
Part 1 of this series is an overview of all the aspects you need to think of when you’re seeking out the best garage door for your needs.
For example, you’ll probably want to choose one that can hold its own when your daughter challenges it to a game of chicken with her vehicle.
Let’s go ahead and get to the nitty-gritty.
The material
The first step in the process is to choose the material you want your door to be made of.
We’ll get into the finer details and some pros and cons of each material in the next articles in the series, like maintenance, durability, and construction.
For now, we’re just going to touch on them.
It’s just an overview, remember?
Here’s a quick peek at the garage door materials you can choose from:
- Wood
- Wood composite
- Steel
Once you’ve decided on the material, you’re ready for the next step.
The style
Step 2 is to nail down the fun stuff!
What style do you have in mind for your door?
You have a wide variety of options, so you don’t have to worry that you won’t find something to suit your vision.
The hardest part will be to narrow it down to the one that suits your home the best.
The main things you’ll have to consider are:
- Design. This is the type of door you want. You’ll want the door to match the architecture of your home. Think along the lines of traditional, victorian or contemporary.
- Color. Your color options will largely depend on the material you’ve chosen. Certain doors will give you a large selection of colors, while others may only be available in a few shades.
- Windows. The first choice is whether or not you want windows. If you do, you’ll have some different layouts to choose from.
- Hardware. The hardware you choose may not seem like a big deal but it has to coordinate with the style of your home’s exterior or it’ll definitely stick out like a sore thumb!
The biggest thing to remember when choosing your garage door style is to keep it consistent with the look of your home.
Now that you’ve been introduced to the basics of style, it’s time to move on to the final step.
The dealer
Choosing the right company to work with will make all the difference when you’re purchasing your new garage door.
Don’t get dazzled by the fancy doors they offer and look over the fact that they have a slew of horrible reviews.
A qualified company will:
- Help you determine what size door you need.
- Be open and ready to share pricing.
- Have a good reputation.
- Stand behind their work.
- Have the proper credentials.
- Provide references.
- Be familiar with codes and regulations.
- Be insured.
- Be experienced and stable.
The bottom line
Buying a garage door is an investment. It’s not something you’ll be doing more than a couple times in your life.
Take your time and do your homework!
What part of purchasing a new garage door are you looking forward to? What part are you dreading?
