Overhead garage doors are doors that roll up a vertical track and transition into a horizontal track and are above the opening when open. These garage doors replaced the old 1 piece garage doors due to their increased safety and smooth operation. If you are in the market for a new Overhead door you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we have outlined the process of choosing the right Overhead garage door for your home.
Step 1: Getting the right size door.
To start the process of shopping for a new garage door you will need to know the width and the height of your door opening. Do not measure your existing door, measure the opening itself. Overhead garage doors are measured width 1st and then height. Check out our step by step guide on how to get all of the right measurements.
Step 2: Find Out What Windrating you will need.
Not all Overhead garage doors are built the same. Different areas of the country have different code requirements. You can visit this site, enter your location, and it will give you the windrating that is needed in your area. The unit of measurement for wind rating is miles per hour or MPH.
Step 3: Do you want insulation or not?
To choose the right model of garage door you will need to decide if you want insulation or not. The level of insulation is measured by an “R-value” which is the measurement of thermal resistance. In layman’s terms it is the ability for insulation to resist heat flow. Higher the R-value, the better the door insulates.
We offer 2 different types of insulated doors. Double layer doors which are steel doors with polystyrene insulation with a vinyl cover on the back. These doors have an R-Value of 7.
The next type of insulated doors is a triple layer door. These doors have polyurethane insulation. These doors are made from two layers of steel instead of one and foam insulation is injected between the two layers of steel. These doors are an R-Value of over 13. If you have the need for garage doors and neither temperature control or quiet operation is a concern then a non-insulated door will work just fine.
Step 4: Choose Your Panel Design
Overhead garage doors take up a large portion of the front of a home. That’s why door manufacturers have gone to great lengths to provide versatility in their designs. Shop Garage Door has designs that will suit nearly any home. See our door panel design in our door builder.
Step 5: Choose your color
Overhead garage doors come in a wide variety of colors. One of our door models alone has 18 available colors. Some door models carry more colors than others and choosing the right color of door can help you pare down your available choices. Most colors come standard, but there are colors that will add to the cost of a new door.
Step 6: Window Design
Overhead garage doors with windows not only enhance the look of your home, but also provide natural light to your garage space. When deciding if you want windows in your door, keep in mind the curb appeal that windows add, but also keep in mind that windows can be security concerns depending on many factors.
Step 7: Will You Be Using An Opener?
You have the option to use your new garage door with or without an electric opener. If you decide not to use an opener you will need to add a lock to the door to secure your garage. Door kits do not include locks. If you have an entrance to your garage other than your garage door then you can use a slide lock. You can only access a slide lock from inside the garage. If you want a lock that you can access from the outside of the garage then you will need to install a keyed lock. If you are going to use an opener then the use of either of these locks is ill advised. Just be sure that if you want to use an electric opener you install a wind brace on the top section of the door. This brace is needed protect the panel against the pressure of the opener pulling on the section.
Step 8: Headroom
Before ordering a new garage door you will need to know the headroom above the garage door. This measurement is taken from the top of the opening to the ceiling or closest obstruction. A standard garage door requires at least 15 inches of headroom. You can install a garage door with less headroom, but low headroom track will need to be employed.
Step 9: What are you mounting to?
A standard garage door is made to mount to wood or masonry. When you are mounting to a steel surface you will need a special type of track for this application. This type of track is called reverse angle mount track. This will add to the cost of the door, but must be purchased for non-standard applications.
Step 10: Choosing Other Accessories
Now, we just need to tie up some loose ends. This may be the last step in the process, but these items are super important. When installing a garage door, you may need to purchase perforated angle. This is the steel that suspends the horizontal garage door track from the ceiling. This angle is not included in a door kit and a garage door or opener cannot be installed without it. We recommend 2 sticks of angle per door or opener that you are installing.
After you have your garage door installed you are going to want a clean finished product. To do so, we always recommend the installation of vinyl perimeter weatherstripping. This weatherstripping is color matched to your garage door and is nailed to the jambs of your garage door opening. This helps to create a weathertight seal. This weatherstripping is often a step that some clients skip and they are almost always dissatisfied with the finished product.
You can visit our door builder here where you can see all of these steps in action and how they affect the price of a new overhead garage door.
