What to Look for in a New Garage Door
Insulation for your garage: you may not pause to consider it, but you’ll want a garage door that is equipped with insulation, especially if you live in a climate with extreme heat or cold or both. You don’t want your garage to become dangerously hot during the summer, or the door the shatter during the winter, and you certainly don’t want the jacked up energy prices it takes to keep the temperature moderate in the large, probably concrete space. Most doors come with what is known as an “R” value, which will tell you the level of insulation it provides: look for higher “R” values.
Garage Door Opener: some people are pickier than others about their garage door opener systems, but be sure you pick a machine whose noise level you can live with and whose sturdiness you are confident in. Consult experts (and the internet) about which brands are a good deal for the amount of noise they make, and which ones are proven to last longer.
Garage Security: If you live in a neighborhood where it’s possible
thieves may try to break into your garage, you may want to invest in a
thicker, more sturdy garage door that locks in place so they can’t lift
it or simply cut through it. Nowadays, most garage door openers also
come with a passcode scrambling feature and a sensor to make sure the
door will not crush anything that is in its path of travel, but you may
want to double check that your new system includes these features and
that they work properly.