Purchasing a new garage door is an extremely important decision and should be perceived as a home investment. A garage door serves many vital purposes such as providing security for the entire family and their cherished possessions. It also protects them from the weather elements, which in some areas can be harsh. Last, but certainly not least, it provides comfort by regulating the temp of the home, the outside noise elements not to mention that is can save bundle of money through reduced energy consumption.
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SAFETY FACTORS
Garage doors provide home and family safety; however, they can also present dangers. It is important to consider these factors prior to deciding upon a purchase. Safety features are important to all families; however, this is especially true for those with small children and/or pets.
Polyurethane insulation can reduce smoke and flames during a fire.
Tamper resistant lower brackets reduce the risk of bodily injury or property damage from the garage door components that are under extreme pressure.
The pinch resistant safety feature prevents injury to fingers which may accidentally be in the garage door operation path.
Auto reverse forces the garage door to reverse direction, if it makes contact with any object during operation.
A motion detector is also available which works in conjunction with the auto reverse function.
A manual release safety feature allows the closing mechanism to be physically disconnected from the door.
Ask a garage door technician about a door opener with a rolling code which prevents thieves from hacking entrance to the home.
AESTHETICS AND STYLE
Garage doors are available in an extremely wide variety of color and design options. Taking the home’s existing architecture design is helpful when deciding which garage door best suits the property. This does not necessarily limit the design choices available. Not only is there a number of options for color, but textures may be considered. Wood grain finishes are a popular choice.
The material also offers design options such as wood, a brick appeal, vinyl siding, or even stucco. Simply changing the garage door material, color, and/or design can give the entire home a fresh new look. It is also important to consider the local weather and energy consumption when choosing the material for a new garage door. A local garage door specialist can assist with options as he/she will already be familiar with the weather in the neighborhood.
Wood offers many style and color choices; however, it also requires more maintenance than other materials and does not fare as well as other options in harsh weather elements.
Steel is more susceptible to hail damage and dents. It can also rust more easily and it is necessary to repair any deep damage such as scratches as soon as physically possible to prevent further deterioration.
Stucco can dramatically reduce energy consumption and generally requires only simple maintenance, but it is also more expensive due to the fact that is requires multiple layers to install and therefore requires more time to install.
Note: The most important and helpful tip for choosing a garage door is to ask questions. Speak with a local garage door specialist, talk to family members, co-workers, and friends about their experiences. Those familiar with the subject are better able to assist with the available options.
