The right garage door can transform the curb appeal of any home. Not to mention, serve as a convenient functional feature for the protection of your property.
With such a huge range of styles and materials to choose from, selecting the perfect garage door can be a daunting prospect. Nevertheless, it’s important to consider which of the available options is best suited to both your property and your pocket.
Garage Door Materials
The first thing you’ll need to do is decide which material your garage door should be made of. There are dozens of options to choose from, though most typically centre around the following standards:
Steel Garage Doors
One of the most common materials used in the manufacture of garage doors, steel is inexpensive, low maintenance and highly durable. It isn’t a particularly good insulator but is highly cost-effective and secure.
Aluminium Garage Doors
Like steel, an aluminium garage door provides robust security for your home with little to no maintenance required. Aluminium is significantly lighter and stronger than steel, though tends to be more expensive.
Wooden Garage Doors
Wooden garage doors are not just stylish, but also much better insulators than standard metallic doors. Maintenance requirements may be a little higher, but a quality wooden garage door could serve you proudly for decades.
Vinyl Garage Doors
A variety of plastics are used in the manufacture of garage doors, which are typically designed so that they don’t look or feel like plastic. A vinyl garage door can be an excellent insulator, with surprisingly lightweight properties and at an affordable price.
Opening Styles and Methods
Only you can decide on the ideal colours and finish for your garage door. Go for something bold as a statement piece, or choose something that’s more cohesive with the rest of your home’s exterior décor. As for opening styles and methods, garage doors are available in endless specifications. Some are more expensive than others, but all designed to serve the same basic purpose.
For example, side hinged doors – sometimes referred to as carriage house style garage doors – bring a refined and traditional look to the home. Standard up and over garage doors are among the most popular choices, though round-the-corner opening styles have been growing in popularity as of late.
Roller shutters are a classic option and are compatible with the vast majority of garages. There’s even the option of including a smaller door within your garage door for convenient pedestrian entry and exit. These days, electronic garage doors that can be operated remotely are the number-one choice among UK homeowners. Having become exponentially more affordable over recent years, electronic and automatic garage doors bring total convenience to the table. Manual options are available if preferred, but the benefits of automatic takes some beating.
Once again, it’s simply a case of determining which materials, styles and finishes are best suited to your home. Insulation and security should also be taken into account, along with additional options like remote activation. If in doubt, ask a specialist to guide you through the options available, in accordance with the size, layout, and style of your garage.
