We don’t think much about it, but the garage door actually plays a major part in your home’s general appearance. The truth is, an unsightly garage door, or one that’s in obvious decline will make your property look shabby, and its value will drop, too. Particularly if your garage doubles as a spare room, shop, office, or den, then you should pay even more attention to maintaining it. Begin with an optimum-quality garage door that’s solid and resilient. Keep in mind that the garage door is the largest operating appliance in your household, so it’s important to keep it in tiptop condition. If you’ve decided that it’s time to buy a whole new garage door, it’s vital to land upon the perfect combination of durability, curb appeal, price, and satisfactory maintenance requirements.
Which is Better: A Sectional Garage Door? Or a Single-Panel One?
If you’re shopping for a brand-new garage door, there are literally endless choices. At first, you may think that a sectional garage door is the standard, which nowadays actually is true. However, there are numerous additional options, such as the single-panel garage door ~ also called a “swing” door, or the “up-and-over” door. To find the garage door that’s right for you, there are a good number of aspects to consider.
Sectional Garage Doors
Sectional garage doors are definitely the most popular kind. This type of garage door is hung on overhead tracks, and made of four sections or more. These panels are held together along the edges with hinges, which also hold the rollers so they will stay in place, permitting the garage door to open and shut properly along its tracks.
Pros
Convenience. If space at your property is limited, a sectional garage door is your best bet. These doors don’t need to swing out, so it allows for more space outside. Your car can be parked closer to the garage door.
Tougher and safer. A sectional garage door stands up well to extreme weather. Without extension springs, and with the capability of automatically operating this garage door, it is less dangerous.
Attractive options. A wide range of colors, materials, and finishes is available. Sectional garage doors of either wood or steel are exceptional options. A wooden sectional garage door is great if you have a custom-built, more expensive house with an attached garage, and you’d like a more welcoming look. Steel sectional doors are easier to install, sturdier, and less expensive.
Easier to repair. If a sectional garage door ever gets damaged in just one section or two, it’s much easier and less costly to repair, because you can replace only the sections affected without too much effort, instead of having to repair or replace the whole garage door.
Cons
Higher pricing. Depending upon which customization options you choose, a sectional garage door is usually more expensive than a single-panel garage door.
Your garage space is affected. Because of the tracks for this kind of garage door, it uses up a bit more space inside the garage.
Expert attention is required. A sectional garage door has a large amount of little parts and springs, making installation more complex. Typically, these doors are also limited to options which work well in two-foot segments, so it’s harder to fit them together correctly for installation.
Single-Panel Garage Doors
A single-panel garage door is a solid slab, which, when opened, slides up and into the space above your automobile. Although it occupies the amount of space similar to what a sectional garage door does, it operates differently. Most single-panel garage doors are hung on a heavy-duty hinge system, which is attached to the jamb. Once this sort of garage door is fitted with its springs, it swings easily, and a garage door opener isn’t even needed. Or, sometimes, a single-panel door can be hung with a system similar to a sectional door, so that you can attach it to a garage door opener.
Pros
Lower cost. A single-panel garage door is often a lot less expensive than a sectional door, even when made from the same materials. If you ever need to replace your garage door’s torsion springs or cables, the cost will likely be more reasonable.
Simplicity. The single-panel garage door has relatively few parts, making installation easier. Furthermore, the fact that there are fewer parts means that there are fewer things that could potentially break over the years, so there’s less to maintain.
Variety. The single-panel door can be made from almost any material you can imagine, and you won’t have panels that clutter the overall appearance.
DIY. A single-panel garage door is ideal if you have an older home, since, with minimal effort, it will be easy to match its old-fashioned style to the style of your property. Whenever you wish to retrofit the garage door hardware that’s already there, a single-panel door is a clear-cut choice.
Cons
Space limitations. If you are in a tightly packed neighborhood, and space is at a premium, you might feel uncomfortably confined. Thus, there’s extra area required in your driveway for a single-panel garage door ~ for tilting up and down ~ so each time you open or shut your garage door, you’ll have to remember to park further back.
Safety concerns. A single-panel garage door requires extension springs, which, if they crack or break, can be hazardous. If not maintained properly, these springs can go straight through a wall! They can cause serious injury and can even be deadly.
Maintenance issues. When a single-panel garage door malfunctions, it usually fails all at once, so the entire door can fall down.
This is only a brief overview. When it comes to garage door materials and styles, there are many possibilities. Considering your taste, budget, and requirements, how do you choose the one for you? Hire a topnotch local garage door repair company you can rely on. If you’re in North Druid Hills, Georgia, consider a reputable company such as Garage Door Repair NDH, where free consultations are available.
