Customized Garage Doors: Installation Options For Homeowners

Enhance Curb Appeal With Customized Garage Doors

Replacing an old garage door can have a dramatic influence on the curb appeal of your home. While there are many things you can do to improve a home’s curb appeal, replacing the garage door is one you may have yet to consider, and it even offers a fantastic ROI (return on investment). In this article, we’ll share why investing in a new garage door benefits you and answer four common questions we receive about customized garage doors.

How New Garage Doors Impact a Home’s Curb Appeal

It’s difficult to hide an old and worn garage door. If the garage door looks shabby, the entire house is liable to look that way to a prospective buyer, neighbor, or anyone driving by. Even with larger homes, a garage door represents a significant portion of the home’s street-facing area.

Garage doors generally run 12×7 feet, 14×7 feet, or 16×7 feet. That works out to 84 square feet, 98 square feet, or 112 square feet. On average, a ranch home is 500 square feet, and a 2-story home is approximately 900 square feet. With these dimensions, the size of the smaller garage door could range from 1/5th of the home’s front-facing dimensions to more than 1/10th.

Enjoy the Benefits of New Garage Door Installation

Many people will tell you that their home was never in better condition than the day they sold it. They live in subpar conditions requiring repairs, including siding needing painting, a leaking roof, and deteriorating garage doors. Wouldn’t it be nice to live with a garage door that enhances the home’s image, even if you’re not selling your home? 

Additionally, a door that appears worn down most likely has components such as springs, rollers, and hinges that need garage door repair. Customized garage doors give you a garage door that looks great and operates efficiently!

4 Common Questions About Customized Garage Doors

1. Should my garage door blend in or stand out?

Customized garage doors come in many different styles and colors. There are flush garage doors designed to look like nothing more than a section of wall. There are other garage doors with framed panels that help the door stand out. It’s really up to your preferences! There are two ways to either make your garage door stand out or completely blend in with your home’s exterior::

The Invisible Garage Door: With this concept, the garage door should go as unnoticed as possible. Painting your customized garage doors the same color as the surrounding walls is the best way to achieve this effect. Flush panels also contribute to this vibe, as they do not include decorative hardware and other embellishments. 

The Stand-Out Garage Door: Rather than trying to hide the garage door, this is where you try to make the garage door stand out from the wall around it. You can achieve this by accentuating the doors’ basic style by painting the framing or the garage door panels themselves a bold color. You can also add decorative hardware and opt for unique panel designs.

2. Should I add windows to my garage doors?

Customized garage doors include many window options! Whether or not you choose to add windows is totally up to you. Garage door windows allow additional natural light inside the garage, and they’re aesthetically pleasing. You can add windows along the top or down one or both sides of your garage door. You even have choices of glass options, including:

3. Does my garage door need extra insulation?

Installing insulated garage doors comes down to your personal preferences. Not every circumstance requires them, but they certainly do add value. If your garage is attached to the house, adding insulated doors is a huge benefit, especially if living spaces are above the garage. Extra insulation reduces outside noise and operational noise from the door opening and closing. 

Also, the higher R-value (the capacity of insulation to resist heat flow) of the garage door, the more energy-efficient your home will be, saving you money on energy costs. Insulated garage doors keep your garage cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Adding a heater to the garage can make the environment more hospitable throughout some of the coldest days of winter. And the insulation will help keep the garage’s heating cost to a minimum. It may even help your car start on those bitterly cold winter days! 

You may not need insulated doors if your garage is not attached to your house. They still provide value if your garage is heated or insulated. If you use the garage for a workspace in the winter, for example, it’s more of a factor. If none of these apply, then insulated garage doors may not be your best choice.

4. Can I use my existing tracks with new customized garage doors?

You may think you’ll save some time and money by using your old garage door tracks when you install a new garage door, but this is never recommended. Garage door tracks are designed to fit the garage door they come with. They are not universal.

It’s a matter of adjustments and crucial dimensions. The spacing between the tracks matters and won’t necessarily be the same for your new customized garage doors. The spacing is also crucial in terms of the offset between the tracks and the garage door jambs. If these dimensions are not precise, the door may get hung up as it travels up or down. The door could come off the tracks and cause serious damage or injury.

Learn More About Customized Garage Doors

If you’re interested in learning more about customized garage doors, Garage Doors and More is here to help! We offer stellar garage door installation services in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin. Check out our complete list of service areas and our gallery for inspiration! Schedule an appointment with us today, and enhance your home’s curb appeal with fully customized garage doors!