Insulating a garage door can increase the comfort and overall energy efficiency of your garage area. This can be particularly important if the garage is directly accessible from the house, as a better controlled and more stable air temperature in the garage will help maintain the desired temperature in the home as well (and quite possibly also add value to your property).

There is no doubt that integral garages can significantly affect the temperature of rooms adjacent to and above the garage area. The garage door itself can represent the largest single source of heat loss in your home and this all mounts up in terms of additional heating in the winter and cooling in the summer.

Just as your garage doors are the largest, most visible, yet most frequently overlooked aspect of your property, so the garage space itself is almost certainly the largest un-insulated space in your home. Like many so-called “green” initiatives, insulating this large space helps conserve energy which is not only environmentally beneficial but also translates directly into saving quite a bit of money (as well as making your house more comfortable to live in).

If you live somewhere that is not susceptible to extreme climatic conditions then a wooden garage door provides much better intrinsic insulating properties than a steel door since wood is a very good natural insulator. However, extreme weather and large temperature fluctuations can mean that because wood garage doors are already quite heavy they are effectively impractical when it comes to adding heavy duty insulation. In these situations a well insulated metal door may be the better option (there are many considerations to weigh up in the debate over steel vs. wood garage doors).

There are several methods of garage door insulation that you can use. One of the best ways of providing good garage door insulation is to check with the door’s manufacturer. Some garage door companies sell kits that are designed to work with their doors, which can make insulating the garage door very easy and effective, although the overall price might be a little higher. But if you’re in the market to buy a new garage door rather than upgrade an existing one then it makes a lot of sense to have this option pre-installed for you.

An off-the-shelf insulated garage door will look better, last longer and out perform an after-market kit. It is also possible these days to purchase insulated wooden garage doors, combining the quality and good looks of a traditional wood panelled door with a fully insulated metal one. These comprise an outer skin of real wood that has been professionally treated and finished to resist the elements and look great. The inner skin is again real wood, which can be finished in any style you can think of (faux wood panelling, fake interior walls, etc). Sandwiched between these two layers of wood is a thick layer of polystyrene insulation which provides superb insulation (often better than the walls) and also reduces the weight that would otherwise be present in a solid wood door.

Alternatively, you can purchase garage door insulating kits that are not designed specifically for one brand of door, but which work well on most garage doors. These generic insulating kits are often a bit less expensive than those provided directly from the door manufacturer but are still quite effective.

Garage door insulation kits use one of 4 basic materials:

  • Fibreglass panels are pre-formed units covered with a protective, washable vinyl finish. They usually come with an integral fastening system and you would typically use about 8 panels for a single door.
  • Foam panels are similar but consist of an expanded polystyrene interior with a laminated plastic covering to protect the panel and make it easy to clean. These panels are fitted into the channels of the door frame rails and a typical kit is usually sufficient for a single door.
  • Insulating foam (polystyrene) is injected behind a plastic membrane that is fitted flush to the inside of the door; the foam then bonds to the surface of the door which keeps it in place and ensure complete coverage.
  • Reflective foil is for solid (i.e. wooden) garage doors that thus don’t have the integral space and cannot take the additional weight of panel inserts. It is a very simple system whereby the foil is cut to shape and simply stuck to the inside of the door. It is generally available in varying degrees of thickness o suit.

You can also purchase your own garage door insulation supplies and do the job yourself without using a kit. There are three main areas on a garage door that benefit from insulation.

  • First, you can use foam panels on the inside surfaces of the garage doors to provide extra insulation to the door itself, especially if the doors have glass windows.
  • Second, the weather stripping on the sides of the doors needs to be in good condition. If this weather stripping has pulled loose or is in poor condition, this should be replaced to keep cold air from getting in around the edges of the door.
  • Third, the garage door should have a compression bubble on the bottom edge that will effectively seal the bottom of the door when it is closed, keeping cold air from getting in. This should be checked, and if it is missing or it has become stiff, brittle or cracked, it should be replaced.

-->

Insulating a garage door can increase the comfort and overall energy efficiency of your garage area. This can be particularly important if the garage is directly accessible from the house, as a better controlled and more stable air temperature in the garage will help maintain the desired temperature in the home as well (and quite [...]


When selecting garage doors, there are several points worth considering, but arguably one of the most important is aesthetics – how good the doors look and how well they complement the rest of the house and its frontage.

It’s hard to make any plausible case that a solid block of vinyl enhances visual appeal, and the ease with which metal dents and deforms quickly makes metal garage doors look as though they have seen better days. By contrast, wooden garage doors are naturally attractive and retain their beauty with age. Scuffs and scratches actually lend them character and are anyway easily repaired if needs be requiring little more than basic handyman tips to deal with most situations.

It’s no coincidence that wood garage doors are still first choice among architects, builders and homeowners; solid wood garage doors always add a touch of quality in the same way that solid wooden window frames totally outclass aluminium and uPVC window systems. It is also much easier to match wood types and colours to existing architectural features such as the main doors and windows of a house.

As already mentioned, wood is easy to work and repair and when properly treated wooden garage doors can easily outlast so-called maintenance-free materials such as steel, aluminium, fibre-glass and vinyl (also called polyethylene).

Classic Wood Garage Doors Are Simple And Look Great

Metal doors are prone to attracting dents and to buckling (even simply kicking a ball against a metal garage door can ruin its appearance), and while steel doors tend to be less susceptible than aluminium, steel is heavier and will eventually rust. Fibre-glass and vinyl, while being lightweight and initially robust will over time degrade and become brittle and crack due to exposure to ultra-violet light and they are not realistically repairable once that happens.

Classic wood garage doors also provide a useful lesson in simplicity of design. Using solid wood rails and legs with panels channelled into them and typically swinging outwards on hinges there is no complicated internal framework just waiting to fail or extraneous fastenings to corrode. Most metal and vinyl garage doors on the other hand employ either an “up-and-over” system or the more recent “carriage style garage doors” design that looks as though it might swing outwards but in fact is sectioned and rolls upwards.

In both cases, complex mechanisms using garage door springs are vital to the operation of the door. And it is a near certainty that, even if you regularly maintain the mechanism, you will at some point be required to adjust your garage door springs and possible repair and/or replace them which is not a trivial task.

Get behind any set of garage doors though and the full story is revealed. Only solid wood doors look good on both sides and are not just an outer shell concealing latch mechanisms on the inside. This is critically important to anyone considering using their garage as a secondary living space.

Not only do wood garage doors look good both from outside and inside the garage, they offer superior insulation and security characteristics – heat simply flies through metal and vinyl and neither material supports the sort of proven, quality locking mechanisms typically found in solid wood doors. Although it is relatively simple to add insulating panels to the inside of a metal door, the result is never especially easy on the eye and the result compares poorly against a pre-insulated wooden garage door.

For those looking for ultimate protection then high security wooden garage doors internally reinforced with steel are able to resist even the most determined attackers for a considerable length of time. These not only protect your property but can form the basis of a garage “safe room” to prevent intruders threatening or harming you or your family.

In summary then, wooden garage doors are not only the best looking option, but last better than the alternatives and are simpler, more environmentally friendly and score highly where security and insulation are concerned. There’s no escaping the fact that a wood panelled door is far and away the most expensive option, but there’s always a price to pay for quality and don’t forget either that wood garage doors can increase the value of your home.


-->

When selecting garage doors, there are several points worth considering, but arguably one of the most important is aesthetics – how good the doors look and how well they complement the rest of the house and its frontage.
It’s hard to make any plausible case that a solid block of vinyl enhances visual appeal, and the [...]


Your garage doors are an important yet often overlooked feature of most homes. In terms of visual real estate, garage doors can easily swallow 20% or more of the total frontage to a house – which means that garage doors can affect your home’s value quite significantly.

They are also very often one of, if not the, most frequently used entrance doors into your home yet considering fitting a secure garage door somehow seems to be low on most people’s list of priorities (that is, until after they are unfortunate enough to suffer a break in, by which time it’s a bit late).

On a related theme and especially if you use your garage door as the primary entrance to your house you would be well advised to consider insulation in order to help maintain the desired temperature in the house. You can either opt to specify this up front as many garage doors provide the option to fit integral insulation or add it later using a generic garage door insulating kit.

Then there is the balance of cost and quality – if you don’t plan on staying in your property more than a few years and/or don’t use the garage doors much then cheaper or budget garage doors could easily fit the bill (in both senses). However, if your garage doors get a lot of use and you would rather not encounter “garage door repair hell” when the inevitable happens then go for the best you can afford.

So there are a number of things to balance against each other then, but essentially your start point before proceeding further is to decide what exactly you want from your garage and hence also its doors. Is this a temporary makeover or a long term investment? Do you need to consider security? Ability to withstand strong winds and/or extreme temperatures? Once you are clear about the answers to these questions then you will understand how to judge specific criteria.

So what should you look for when considering installing or replacing a garage door?

Garage Door Types

First there is the material type. This falls into three basic categories:

Wooden Garage Doors Are The Best Quality

Wood garage doors can be anything up to ten times more expensive than a standard steel door due to the inherent costs of the material, a more involved and precise manufacturing process to assure against warps and cracks, and the simple fact that the additional weight requires the installation of much stronger (and heavier) rails and beams to support the door. This last point also effectively rules out DIY installation where wooden doors are concerned – you absolutely must invest in paying for professional installation.

The types of wood mostly commonly used to make garage doors are conifers such as Redwood, Hemlock and Cedar since these contain a high concentration of oil and thus resist condensation and rot well. It is also not unusual to find Oak used as a material thanks to it high strength and durability (slightly interesting related fact – the English navy established by Henry 8th was built using Oak).

There is however more to consider when choosing a material for your garage doors than simply issues of cost or appearance. For most people the debate usually narrows down to a choice between steel versus wooden garage doors. Sometimes the deciding factor may be out of your hands anyway though, because although wooden doors undoubtedly project an image of quality, can be reinforced to provide a high level of security (discussed later) and have good natural insulation properties, if you happen to live in an area that experiences extremes of weather (wild fluctuations in temperature or very strong winds) then you may have little choice but to opt for a specially strengthened and/or heavily insulated steel door.

Buying A Garage Door

Second you should consider where to source your chosen type of door. As with many major household items, a quality original product installed by competent fitters will ensure years of trouble free enjoyment. Accordingly, you would be well advised to check for references of previous installations and evidence that your supplier has been around a while, has a reputation worth protecting, carries full insurance, employs properly trained/accredited staff and offers reasonable warranties and after-sales support in the event that anything should go awry.

Garage doors can be purchased from large DIY stores, door and window companies and garage door specialists. Bear in mind though that the long term durability and reliable performance of your garage doors will depend crucially on the quality of the installation process as much as the doors themselves. Specialists who fit garage doors day in day out are far more likely to deliver a result that looks good and lasts from day one for many years to come.

Another reason to consider using a garage door specialist is customisation – you can have exactly what you want, in the style and size you specifically want rather than have to compromise to fit in with a standard product.

Garage Door Maintenance

Third, as with any long term purchase you need to consider the likely useful lifespan of your new doors and any maintenance issues. This is not just down to caring for the surface finish on the doors, but also bearing in mind that the mechanism for the garage door opener will need to be kept in good order.

Many people forget that although the door panel itself is the most visible element it is only one part of the overall system – “part” being the operative word. Garage door opening mechanisms use quite a few parts (springs, rollers and so on) that need to all work smoothly together otherwise the door will cease to open and close as it should.

Like many things, a garage door is only as good as its weakest part and if even a quite trivial component should fail then the whole door is compromised. How long any given part will last is measured in “cycles” where one cycle is one opening and closing of the door. Cheaper parts are often rated for 5,000 cycles, which assuming an average of 3 uses of the door per day (or roughly 1,000 cycles per year) effectively limits their life span to about 5 years.

So roughly every 5 years you can expect to call out a garage door repair specialist – or more likely suffer a spate of call outs since it won’t just be one part that has reached the end of its working life. Be aware also that adjusting garage door springs and potentially repairing or replacing door mechanism parts can be both difficult and dangerous and you should check carefully that anyone who comes to repair your doors is properly covered by valid liability and workers compensation insurance.

In the event that anything goes wrong you need to be sure that insurance will cover both damage to property and personal injury, otherwise (it being your property) you could find yourself liable and facing ruinous costs. Also, asking for proof of insurance is a good way to weed out the cowboys since reputable companies will not hesitate to provide this information if asked.

On the other hand, you could insist on parts where testing was discontinued at 80,000 cycles since they just wouldn’t fail and then you can expect quite literally a lifetime of pretty much trouble free operation. Ask your supplier to provide (in writing) the manufacturers’ cycle ratings for the parts that will be installed with your door – this is little different really to asking a car dealer about mileage.

And talking of “lifetime” it is worth understanding what many so-called “Lifetime Warranties” really mean. For example almost all steel garage doors are sold with a “Lifetime” guarantee against rust-through which is where a door rusts so badly that you can actually see through it; but in practice most people cannot stand to look at a rusting door and will paint the door long before the rust totally eats through the metal with the result that no-one in fact ever claims for rust-through. It is a worthless warranty and in reality just a sales ploy to reassure the naive and unwary.

Finally, it might be obvious but do be sure to ask about all aspects of your new garage doors before you buy and if anything doesn’t feel right then look elsewhere till you find a supplier/installer you feel comfortable with. It’s your property and your money after all.


-->

Your garage doors are an important yet often overlooked feature of most homes. In terms of visual real estate, garage doors can easily swallow 20% or more of the total frontage to a house – which means that garage doors can affect your home’s value quite significantly.
They are also very often one of, if not [...]



Although modern garage doors can be made from a wide variety of materials, for example vinyl and fibreglass, the most commonly installed garage doors are made from either wood or steel.
There are pros and cons on both sides, but whichever you type you eventually decide upon, bear in mind that this is a long [...]


Let’s start with some simple facts.

Firstly, most people’s homes face the street which means their garage is also street facing, which further means that the garage doors can claim in some cases as much as a quarter of the area of this frontal elevation.

Secondly, first impressions are everything and that applies to buildings as much as people. Think what impression you might have of someone who shows up for a meeting wearing a tatty T-shirt that’s missed its last two appointments with the washing machine? The same applies to your house (and by association, you, the owner) when someone gives it the once-over from the street or comes up the drive.

So it should be obvious then, that if you’re trying to increase the value or saleability of your property and your garage doors don’t look the part then you’ve just done the equivalent of turning up for a crucial interview with pizza stains down your front. And as we all know, it’s an uphill struggle to turn around a negative first impression.

Wooden Garage Doors Account For Much Of A Property's Frontage

Another reason to focus on your garage doors is not simply because they’re one of the most in-your-face aspects of many houses, but because garage remodelling is becoming an important consideration for modern home owners. Garage remodelling is among the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to add space to your home and is fast becoming a primary home improvement strategy.

Even if you neither particularly need or want an additional space (for a workshop or games room or gym or utility room or whatever) you should bear in mind that potential buyers very likely will look at the potential for the garage beyond just storing automobiles and garden tools.

And when looking at a garage, guess what it is that keeps getting in their face and screaming either “useable space” or “waste of space”? Yes, it’s superficial view of things but that’s how people are, so in addition to paying attention to the quality of the doors it might also pay you to consider installing decent garage storage systems to tidy the place up.

Another consideration for many these days is security – both personal safety and protection of valuables. secure garage doors prevent intruders gaining access to what is all too often one of the weakest links in most people’s security arrangements.

Further interesting evidence for the importance of paying attention to your garage doors comes from a recent survey which revealed that for both men and women the garage door is now ahead of the front door as the most used exterior door when entering the home. This attests to the superior ease of use of modern garage doors and the level of security, especially with remote control operation.

So garage doors are more important than many people ever think about, but what are the best ones to go for? The answer to that is simple: wooden garage doors. Just as real wood window frames put uPVC and aluminium in the shade, wood garage doors simply look more attractive and feel sturdier than metal doors. They are also easy to keep looking good, extremely versatile and simple to maintain. If need be for example, you can cut window inserts into the doors to allow light through.

So to sum up then, garage doors take up a big chunk of what folk see when they look at your house and the best way to boost their perception of your house and its potential value is to install attractive wooden garage doors.


-->

Let’s start with some simple facts.
Firstly, most people’s homes face the street which means their garage is also street facing, which further means that the garage doors can claim in some cases as much as a quarter of the area of this frontal elevation.
Secondly, first impressions are everything and that applies to buildings as much [...]



Thanks for visiting Wooden Garage Doors Guide. This site owes its origins to an unfortunate incident when my home was burgled and the route used was via the largest and most obvious door available – you guessed it, a not very secure garage door.
It was also damaged as a consequence and what with needing a [...]