You put your garage door through a lot.
Have you ever thought about how many times you open and close it in a day? A week? A year?
That’s just the easy stuff.
What about how often it gets hit by balls?
Or how about the way it helps to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter?
It stops those who would try to get into your home and steal from you or hurt your family.
How much wind and rain has it endured? What about the hot sun? Ice and snow?
You should probably give your garage door a lot more credit!
No more wimpy doors
Now that you’ve had a chance to think about just how big of a job your garage door actually has, you’re probably starting to see why it’s important that your door is strong enough for all that life throws at it. Including baseballs and soccer balls!
Let’s look at some of the ways you can be sure you’re getting a quality garage door that will stand up to weather, kids – and a possible zombie apocalypse – when it’s time to replace yours or you’re building a new home.
Buy a door that’s insulated
No matter where you live or what your climate is like, an insulated door is always an asset.
Steel doors are designed as:
- Single-layer (no insulation).
- Double-layer (contains a layer of vinyl-coated insulation on the inside of the garage door).
- Triple-layer (adds a layer of steel that covers the vinyl insulation coating).
The more insulated your garage door is, the better it will stand up to strong winds and protect your home’s interior from extreme heat, and extreme cold, if your garage is attached.
Buy a door that’s storm-ready
This is especially important if you live in an area that experiences hurricane-force or even very strong winds.
Because garage doors are so large, they’re susceptible to wind damage, and a lot more is at stake than just your garage door.
The change in pressure from a garage door that fails in a hurricane or other high-wind event creates enough force to blow the roof off your home.
Is one type stronger?
Making a choice can be a little more complicated because there isn’t just one kind of door that is insulated or storm-ready.
The two most popular choices for garage doors today are wood and steel.
Steel doors are the strongest kind of residential garage door available, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the only kind that is sturdy enough.
Wood doors are typically viewed as not as strong or high-wind resistant as steel doors, but the truth is that wood doors are actually better insulators than steel.
In addition, some wooden doors will feature additional insulation, giving you the bonus of the wood look with greater energy efficiency.
The flipside is that insulated steel is, even more, energy efficient and easier to maintain. You can get a steel door that’s painted to look like wood if you’re really sold on the aesthetics.
A good strategy for defense
You won’t be buying all that many garage doors in the course of your lifetime.
It pays to realize just how important it is to look at your garage door as the first line of defense.
A strong, quality garage door can literally keep your home together in the event you experience hurricane-force or other high-velocity winds.
Seek the advice of a trusted garage door company to help you find a well-insulated door that also looks great.
Do you need to upgrade the strength of your garage door to better protect your home?
