"There are so many options," said Misty Esau, the office manager of Phillips Garage Door in Clovis, Calif. "So, depending on the look of the home, you can go with a lot of different styles."
To help you prepare for your search, here are some areas to consider:
l ROLL UP OR FLIP OUT: Sectional roll-up garage doors have three to four panels, and are 7 or 8 feet tall for single- or double-car garages or 14 feet for recreational vehicles. The doors have rollers that move along tracks. Shafts with torsion springs sit above the doors, attached with cable pulleys. The springs allow you to pick up the doors without them being dead weight, said Jerry Guinn, the president of Fresno Overhead Door Co. "It's the counterbalance."
To use garage doors, there must be enough overhead above the door opening, at least 15 inches for standard ones. Conversion kits are available for the track to allow for smaller overhead spaces. These need a minimum of 5 inches.
In older homes, garages might not allow enough room for these newer doors. The traditional garage doors that flip out or tilt out must be used, and they can still be bought - for now.
l METAL OR WOOD: Sectional garage doors can be made of aluminum, copper or the most common material, steel. Steel doors can be 24- to 27-gauge, with 24 being the thickest. Metal doors can be plain with no windows, have decorative hardware to give them a carriage house look, and have various raised or recessed panel designs.
The cost of basic noninsulated, 25-gauge steel doors for a single- car garage can start at about $500 to $600, depending upon the style.
Wood options include recycled composite wood or solid wood. Composite wood garage doors can start at $1,000 to $2,000, depending on the style. Solid wood ones can start at $2,700 to $3,750, depending upon design and wood type.
l SAFETY AND SECURITY: Some people might decide against windows on their garages because of safety concerns - namely, people peeking in. An option is frosted glass similar to that on shower doors.
Window panels are available in short lengths (12-24 inches) and long (about 36 inches). Windows come in a number of styles; some have decorative details to make them look like leaded glass. Some windows also allow you to change the trim around them. Windows typically are glass, but some manufacturers offer clear acrylic instead; it's harder to break, Mr. Guinn said.
If you're worried about fingers getting pinched in gaps between panels or in the rollers and tracks, some manufacturers make safety features, such as finger shields, for their doors.
l VENTILATION: Basic garage doors don't have any kind of backing on the inside. If your garage was insulated during construction, you might consider getting an insulated garage door, too.
Though it can help keep the garage a little cooler, where it will help the most is with radiant heat. If you or your children touch the door from the inside, it won't be burning hot. Insulated doors have foam inside and some sort of backing, such as vinyl or steel. Insulated garage doors also have a clean look from the inside and tend to be quieter.
But if the garage isn't insulated and have gypsum wallboard, it doesn't make sense.
Insulated models cost about $225 more than uninsulated ones.
l GARAGE DOOR OPENER OPTIONS: There are three basic types of electric rail-type garage door openers: chain, screw and belt. A chain-drive opener has a chain that runs along the rail that helps open the door. It can be noisy and should be lubricated annually. Over time, the gear in the motor can strip and will need to be replaced.
A screw-drive opener has a long screw in the rail to help open the door. Older models should be lubricated. A small piece, called the trolley, slides back and forth on the rail as the door opens and closes. The screwlike teeth inside the trolley can strip over time.
A belt-drive opener is similar to the chain-drive but uses a belt to help open the garage door. Some models come with backup batteries for short-term power outages. If you have a heavy door, such as a wood one, a belt-drive opener is recommended to handle the weight. If the door is used often throughout the day, get one with higher horsepower.
An alternative to these door openers is one that uses no rail. Typically, the opener is attached to the bar that holds the spring. It opens the door by turning the bar. These openers start at $750 installed at Phillips Garage Door.
Generally, if you're handy, you can install openers yourself.
Openers typically come with sensors that should be placed no higher than 6 inches above the garage floor. They also might come with keyless-entry pads that you can install outside of the garage and remote controls.
Many garage doors also have sliding locks. When you install a garage door opener, be sure to disable or remove it. You can damage the opener if your spouse slides the lock into place and then you try to open the garage when you come home later.
Originally published by Nzong Xiong McClatchy Newspapers.
(c) 2007 Augusta Chronicle, The. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.