On the aesthetic aspect, the façade of your home—including your garage door—will be the first thing visitors and neighbours notice about your property. For passers-by and particularly for house-hunters, the front part of your residence is enough to leave them with an impression of your entire home. That impression can influence their decision to buy—or not buy—your home when you put it up for sale later on.
Apart from being uninviting to your guests, an old, rickety garage door may be a cause for concern in terms of your family’s security. Replacing your dilapidated garage door with a brand new one will offer better protection for your car, gym equipment or other stuff you store in your garage. More importantly, it will prevent break-ins and enhance the safety of your family.
Thinking of making a garage door upgrade? Here are a few types you might want to consider:
1. Aluminium Garage Doors
You can’t go wrong with aluminium garage doors if you want to make your house stand out. Aside from giving your home a modern look, aluminium garage doors offer long-lasting performance with their heavy-duty construction. They are sturdy enough to withstand harsh weather conditions and other destructive elements.
2. CARRIAGE HOUSE-STYLE GARAGE DOORS
The windows on carriage house-style garage doors give a classic, vintage vibe that makes your home feel warm and welcoming. While carriage house-style garage doors look as if they would open like double doors—parting at the centre and turning outward from their hinges—they usually open like regular garage doors: up and over.
3. GLASS GARAGE DOORS
Glass garage doors may be the least popular type of garage door on this list, but their sleek appearance makes them the ideal choice for modern, minimalist homeowners. They may not be as thermal-efficient, tough, and weather-proof as the other types of garage doors, but they do offer one distinct benefit: they can make the space in your garage look bigger than it really is.
Glass garage doors also pose some safety and privacy risks, but you can work around these by choosing thick glass, fibreglass or one-way vision glass. You also need to consider the kind of activities that you will do inside or around your garage and make sure that they won’t end up breaking your fragile glass door!
4. STEEL GARAGE DOORS
Steel garage doors are perfect for homeowners looking for an extremely low-maintenance, thermal efficient door for their garage. Steel is a hard-wearing material that is immune to the undesirable effects of weather changes (like expanding or warping). It is also strong enough to withstand minimal to moderate amounts of force and impact, like those coming from a basketball slamming on it or your motorbike accidentally hitting it.
If you like the benefits offered by steel garage doors but worry that a shiny, industrial look will clash with the existing style of your home, here’s the good news: these doors come in different colours and finishes, too. This means you can customise the look of your steel garage door to match it with your home aesthetic. And you never have to worry about repairing or replacing it after a year or two!
5. Wooden Garage Doors
Whether real or synthetic, wooden garage doors add a distinct character and unmistakable charm to your home. Its versatility, strength and durability make it an ideal choice for garage doors. On top of these qualities, authentic wooden or faux wood doors come in many colours, designs and finishes that can lend a unique and rustic look to your garage.
Whatever type of garage door you upgrade to, it might be to your advantage to invest in double-layer doors that offer increased insulation.
To make the most of your garage door upgrade, consider installing retractable insect screens on your garage openings. These screens allow you to work more comfortably in your garage by letting the cool breeze in while keeping the bugs out. They give you the freedom to tinker with your car or motorcycle, or work out in your garage gym without getting interrupted by buzzing flies and stinging mozzies.
Freedom Retractable Screens offer a variety of innovative screen solutions that can fit openings up to 13 metres wide—perfect for garage doors, patios, balconies, and other large, difficult-to-screen areas of your home! Contact your local expert from Freedom Retractable Screens to find the perfect screen solution that will complement your garage door upgrade.