Choosing the right Garage Door

Choosing a Garage Door

Increase your home's curb appeal with new garage doors.

Garage doors are a big investment in the style and comfort of your home. Your garage doors can account for up to 30 percent of the exterior portion of a home that is visible from the street. The style, color and condition of the door has a great influence on the overall appearance and curb appeal of the home. When shopping for garage doors you should also consider the things you use your garage for. If it also serves as a workshop, utility room or children's play area, then you will need a door with good insulating properties. Lowe's is happy to provide this information as a service to you.

Sizing the Door

The first thing you must do when selecting a garage door is to determine what size door you need. Garage doors are available to fit virtually any opening, just measure your opening and take the measurements to your local Lowe's to get the door you need. Use our a printable garage door measuring worksheet to make your measurements.

Style

Since garage doors make up such a large portion of your home's exterior, the style you choose should complement the rest of your home's exterior. Start your style selection by choosing a panel design. There are three main panel designs from which to choose:

Flush panels are flat, slightly textured panels that can be used to complement the surrounding wall area without drawing too much attention to the door itself.

Long raised panels give depth and distinction to the door, while adding to the home's overall appearance.

Short raised panels also lend depth to the door. They are excellent additions to Victorian style homes with intricately detailed trim, the symmetrical facades of colonial style homes or the strong architectural lines of a Tudor home.

Add even more pizzazz to raised panels by painting the sloped portion of the panel in a contrasting color.

Windows and window panels are another way to add style and your own personal touch to a garage door. Double-paned windows allow natural light in but keep extreme seasonal temperatures out. Click here to see a few of the window styles available.

Door Construction Materials

Most garage doors are either wood or steel.

Wood doors offer a wide variety of options. You can find anything from standard raised panel designs to doors that mimic the ornate styles commonly used on the carriage houses of the 18th and 19th centuries. Wood doors are also available in several species, either paint or stain grade.

Steel doors are usually more economical than wood doors and are the most common type of garage door. Most manufacturers offer several colors out-of-the-box. You can also paint the door to match your home. There are three distinct types of steel doors:

Single layer doors are stamped from a single sheet of galvanized steel. These are usually the most economical of all steel doors.

Double layer steel doors have a galvanized steel skin on the outside with a thick layer of either polystyrene or polyurethane as a backer. The backer provides soundproofing and additional insulating value to the door.

Triple layer doors are constructed of the same materials as double layer doors with the addition of a galvanized skin on the inside to protect the polystyrene/polyurethane from damage. The additional layer of steel makes triple layer doors the strongest, most secure and most soundproof of all garage doors. These are also available with thicker insulation for greater R-Value.

The Garage as an Extended Living Space or Workshop

More and more homeowners are using their garages as extensions of their living space: as children's play areas, workshops, hobby areas, laundry rooms and more. As the activity in the garage increases, so does the need to maintain a constant, comfortable temperature in this space.

For the attic, walls and crawl space you can use the same techniques outlined in our article on home insulation to increase the comfort level in your extended living space. But, there is one more, often overlooked, space in your garage where you can increase insulation value and energy efficiency - the garage door. Look for a door with:

Good insulating qualities. Look for a door with an R-value of at least 3 in moderate to temperate climates. In harsher climates go up to an R-value of 10.

Weather seals between the sections. The seal may be designed into the mating surfaces of the panels or it may be in the form of gasket material that compresses when the door is closed.

A bottom seal/threshold. If the door doesn't come with a bottom seal standard, you can always add one to keep drafts and rain out.

If you have a garage-workshop, get the highest R-value you can in the door to make heating and cooling your work space easier.

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