New Garage Doors - What to Buy

While most garage doors last for years and years there still inevitably comes a time in some homeowner's life when replacement is necessary. If events should occur in your own life that would warrant the replacement of a new garage door, be sure to do your research as they tend to last for many years and chances are you won't be replacing it again. For this reason a few extra dollars here and there may be quite worth it.

Today the two most popular styles of garage doors are tilt ups and sectional roll downs, which are usually in the median price range. Tilt up doors, also known as overhead or roll up doors, are attached by metal hinges and simply tilt or swing outward to allow access to the inside space. They are usually somewhere between 25-30% cheaper than the alternative, making them more attractive to some buyers. Sectional roll downs on the other hand are broken into four or more sections attached by joints and use a roller system to move the door parallel to the garage ceiling. The major advantages of this kind of door are its space efficiency and ease of use.

A second important decision when purchasing a new door for your garage is the kind of construction material that is used in doors manufacturing. Listed below are the most common materials used:

Steel: Extremely durable, steel is one of the most popular choices due to its appealing properties. It is a low-maintenance material that will not warp or bend when put under mother natures strains, and can be fabricated in a variety of different textures. Energy efficiency can also be increased with a steel door due to their double pane construction, as most steel garage doors are made of two plates with insulation in between.

Aluminum: Aluminum garage doors are also a common choice among consumers. They also offer a low maintenance option that costs approximately half as much as a steel door, and in manual garage door situations allows for ease of use due to its light weight. However, aluminum doors are more likely to incur more dents and nicks than steel doors.

Wood: Wood can be greatly appealing due to its natural look and can be quite beautiful in the correct applications. However, while easy to paint wood does require the most maintenance, including staining or painting, refinishing, and general care that must be taken towards any form of wood that is exposed to the elements.

With the green, energy conscious minds of many consumers and potential buyers the insulation used is also an important factor. The kind and amount of insulation used in a garage door can be just as valuable as the insulation used elsewhere in your home, and because of this insulated garage doors are becoming ever less popular. Polyurethane and Polystyrene are the most conventional forms of insulation used in door construction, but with such long names who can tell the difference? To most homeowners, insulation is either thick or thin. But don't be fooled. Polystyrene can be much thicker than its competition but does not always offer the best efficiency. Polyurethane, although appearing thinner in its post-production state actually offers greater energy efficiency because of its ability to expand to completely fill the space between two surfaces, and adhere to them both. This also helps decrease noise during operation and the strength of the door due to its chemical properties.

Garage door shopping can be a daunting task to any homeowner, but as always, the key to making the best purchase is to do your homework before hand. Talk to a local repairman or ask questions of many different manufacturers, as everyone has important and different advice to add. A well thought out purchase will be a better one in the future.

For more information and guidance about the variety of materials, styles, and specifications, visit http://www.premiumgaragedoorservice.com. Premium Garage Door Service specializes in installations and maintenance, and they have a great slide show on their site's banner that illustrates a variety of styles to help you visualize the look you want.