Modern garage doors do much more than protect vehicles from the elements and that?s why there are so many overhead door choices. Your Janesville WI home makes a statement with its outward style ? the garage can represent as much as 30% of your home?s outward appearance. In an age where curb appeal is very important, making the appropriate overhead door choice counts. Installing up-scale, eye-catching, energy efficient doors is a wise investment.
There was a time when you could have ?any colored car you want, as long as it?s black.? And any colored garage door ?as long as it?s white or tan.? Those days are gone forever. Your overhead door choices include windows, insulation, styles and colors ? from contemporary to classic and harking back to the days of the carriage house.
Appearance is the top selection criteria in the final decision phase but there are several elements to be factored in.
Popular Overhead Door Choices
The most important choice when selecting a new door for a garage is which material is best for your home. What kind of punishment will the door take ? kids bouncing basketballs off it, high wind stressing it, above average use?
Here are the most popular materials today include:
- Steel ? steel panel doors are rugged, strong and dependable. They are available in contemporary, ultra-modern, classic and carriage house styles. Steel doors require very little maintenance and can be painted to match your home?s style. Available with or without windows and with or without insulation. Can be reinforced for areas with high wind loads.
- Aluminum ? aluminum panel doors are light and strong. They can be painted and require little maintenance ? rust- and corrosion-resistant. Available in many styles and sizes. Aluminum does not provide as much natural insulation as other options.
- Fiberglass ? fiberglass provides a natural look that can mimic wood grain and it can be painted and stained. Will not warp, rot or dent. Impacts can cause cracks and continued exposure to the UV rays of the sun can result in fading ? requires a new clear coat application after a few years. Fiberglass doors are heavier than some options.
- Wood ? once the only option, wood has regained favor because of its natural beauty and the craftsmanship it represents. Wooden overhead door choices require extra care ? painting and staining every few years. A real wooden door makes a true statement to passersby.
The most popular overhead door choice todays is steel backed with some kind of foam insulation. Adding insulation is a wide choice in Southern Wisconsin?s variable climate. If the idea of a ?steel door? brings to mind something flat and boring, think again. Because the luxurious look of wood is so popular, every other available material comes with some kind of wood-grain outward appearance. Steel or aluminum doors can be hard to spot from a distance thanks to modern engineering and manufacturing techniques.
Garage Doors ? Appearance Matters
Style, color and design all get high priorities when making the right overhead door choice. Once you?ve decided upon the right material, all that matters is how the new door looks and operates. You can have a basic, no-frills door in standard colors or a custom, elaborate creation. Your design options include:
- Windows ? large, small, several or a few. Simple and basic to multi-panel designs with colored panes. Etched for added privacy. Available is acrylic material that?s shatter-proof for around the basketball court or real, laminated glass for energy conservation.
- Colors ? basic white and tan (almond) are still the most popular color choices but there?s nothing standing in the way of truly personal appeal. Brown and gray are gaining in popularity while it isn?t unusual to see a wide ranging palette from blue to dark red or deep green ? and any shade in between. Adding wood-look stains to doors with wood grain texture is an added option to realize the appeal with natural wood. Designer estimate there are as many as 6,000 color choices available to match whatever trim or siding your home displays.
Technology Saves Money
The most popular overhead door choice is adding insulation to the door. A steel outer skin around a layer of foam insulation provides a remarkably energy-efficient barrier to Janesville?s weather extremes. An added benefit ? it makes the door?s outer panels less likely to dent.
Insulation is applied in various thicknesses. Some as foam panels and some blown on during the manufacturing process ? like applying a bed liner to a new pickup truck.
Insulation is rated according to its ?R Value? ? the higher the better. Insulation on a garage door normally ranges from R5 to R10.
NOTE ? some manufacturers base their rating on measurements taken just in the center of the door. Looks for ratings that are ?whole surface? or ?whole door? for a more accurate evaluation.
Recent research has shown the installing a new insulated door on your garage can reduce energy loss from the garage by as much as 70% while keeping an unheated garage as much as 10-20 degrees warmer during winter.
TIP FROM A PRO ? Insulating your garage?s door also keeps your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer and is especially important if you have a room above the garage (a very popular design style in many Janesville WI neighborhoods.
As technology advances throughout your home, the garage space is keeping pace. Once limited to being a convenient way to open and close the door electronic openers have moved into the digital age ? you can control lights, cameras and action! You can open your garage from any distance with a phone app. Options like security lighting, TV monitors and keyless entry systems all enhance you family security and peace of mind. Overhead door choices include more than just a way to cover a large opening!
Depend Upon Professionals
Time-tested, reliable garage doors are vital in today?s home and Country Door Systems provides the latest in styles and technology backed by expert installation, repair and maintenance. Call Country Door Systems at 608-752-9537 for the best overhead door choices, electronic door openers and accessories Janesville WI and throughout Southern Wisconsin.