With all the technological advancements for materials, nowadays, you can get the best garage doors that could last you for decades. However, that doesn’t mean that all garage doors are created equal. There are still some cheaper ones that are significantly inferior in quality. That is why it is essential that you have enough knowledge of garage doors to make the right choice when you replace your current garage door with a new one.
If you don’t know that much about garage doors, don’t worry, because Capable One Door & Gate Services Ltd. is here to share with you some of the things that you need to know before you buy a new garage door:
1. Think Twice Before Getting Wood Garage Doors
You might get tempted to buy a wood garage door because it looks impressive. However, know that its gorgeous appearance won’t last long, and if you want to keep it looking great, you’ll have to invest time and effort in its maintenance. If you can’t do it regularly, you’ll end up having to sand the wood and recoating it.
If it’s the look of the wood that you want to get, your option is to get a garage door with either a fiberglass skin or a wood composite overlay. The latter will give you the look of natural wood minus the tedious maintenance.
2. Get Beefier Springs
Springs are the parts of the garage door that make them go up and down slowly. Most garage doors make use of torsion springs which can be seen above the door. Standard ones are rated for around 10,000 cycles. While that may seem like a lot, it’s actually not. If you happen to open and close the garage door six times a day, the 10,000-cycle will be done in less than five years. If a beefier spring that’s rated for 20,000 cycles costs around $50 more, then that’s definitely worth upgrading to, don’t you think?
3. Get a New Opener, Too
It’s a good idea to replace your opener at the same time you get a new garage door. It’s so it can be installed by the pro installer, thus saving you some money on labor. You might even get a discount if you buy both a door and an opener. Of course, if you have only recently replaced your opener, then there’s no need to get a new one.
4. Request for an ‘In-Person’ Quote
It might seem convenient to order a garage door online or over the phone. The only problem is that garages are built differently. A reliable salesperson or contractor knows that it’s important to know such details as the size and shape of the opening and things like headroom and side clearance.
5. Do Not Attempt to Install Your Own Door
Watching an episode of a DIY home improvement show doesn’t equip you with the know-how to install a garage door. Sure, you could save a few hundred dollars on labor. However, you might end up spending more. For one, you’ll need some tools that you might not have. So, either you’ll buy or rent those. Then it’s going to take you hours to sort all the parts of the garage door and figure out what goes where. The installation process itself requires technique and arm strength. If you choose to hire a pro to handle the installation, the job will be done in hours, and you won’t even have to worry about the old garage door because they can haul it away for you.
Conclusion
Aside from knowing what to look for in a garage door, you should keep in mind the things mentioned in this post that will help ensure that you’ll be satisfied with your new garage door. Also, you should only order and have one installed by a reputable garage door company that offers only high-quality products and reliable services.
Capable One Door & Gate Services can provide you with some of the best garage doors available in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley for residential and commercial use. Contact us today to ask more about our garage doors and gates!