Garage Door Buying Guide
USEFUL INFORMATION WHEN SHOPPING FOR NEW GARAGE DOORS
Whether you’re a new homeowner or are refreshing the look of your existing home, buying a garage door is an exciting opportunity for you to breathe new life into your home’s exterior. Many homeowners replace their garage door once in their lifetime, so finding the perfect mix of function, fashion, and affordability is an important part of the process.
To help you make the decision best for your home, our buying guide offers a collection of garage door information below, including overviews of garage door styles, materials, insulation, brochures, garage door comparisons and more. We also offer information on how to measure and install your garage door when you’re ready to make the switch.
Why Replace Your Garage Door?
94.5% ROI AVERAGE
Industry proven, boost your return on investment at resale.
70% OF REALTORS
Realtors agree a new garage door helps a home sell faster.
LOVE YOUR HOME
Fall in love with your home again with a new garage door!
Choosing Your Budget
Budget is important for many homeowners considering a new garage door. The cost of a garage door depends on a variety of factors, including material, insulation, style, hardware, number of doors and sizes, and more. When choosing a budget, most homeowners primarily consider the importance of the door’s aesthetic appeal, whether the door needs to be insulated, and how durable the door should be.
Homeowners who seek the least expensive garage door available should explore our Newport Series or the Quincy Series. These doors are a nice choice when style or quiet operation are not a critical factor, the average temperature is moderate, and the door will be lightly used.
For homeowners who want to increase their curb appeal, attractive carriage house, modern, or classic raised-panel garage doors are a popular choice. We recommend the Vineyard Collection, Nantucket Collection or Cambridge Collection! These doors have better energy efficiency, durability, quieter operation, are made with superior materials and increased curb appeal that increases the resale value of your home.
What Garage Door Style Should I Choose?
More than any other feature of your garage door, the choice should be based on your personal preference and home style. While some architectural styles tend to pair well with a specific garage door look, like modern architecture with full-view doors, or Colonial architecture with carriage-house doors, the choice is ultimately yours.
Energy costs are a serious consideration for every homeowner's budget, yet many homeowners overlook the impact that an insulated garage door can have on both energy costs and comfort. With the highly fluctuating energy costs of these times, keep your dollars in your wallet and not flying out of the garage. With the garage being the largest entry to most homes, it is one of the most susceptible to heat loss, which makes it a good opportunity to increase energy efficiency!
Garage Headquarters's doors feature insulation expands to fill the entire garage door, with industry-leading R-values for consistent comfort in adjacent rooms next to and above the garage. We can help with every step of the way, and explain as much as you wish. We want you to feel empowered that you are making the right choice for you, your family, and your home.
When Comparing Garage Door Materials
The material you choose for your garage door can be based on a combination of style preferences, maintenance considerations, and durability. Steel garage doors can be a great choice for durability, and our Ultra-Grain finish can provide the beautiful appearance of wood without the upkeep of natural wood.
When a natural look is the most important factor, nothing beats the classic look of a wood garage door. Garage Headquarters offers wood doors in a variety of species from Redwood to White Oak to Sapele Mahogany with styles ranging from raised-panel to modern. If you are seeking a one-of-a-kind curb appeal, choose a fully custom handcrafted garage door that is sure to add your personality to your home's exterior.
When clean lines and natural light is needed, aluminum and glass can be an excellent choice. Our full-view style doors can modernize your home while also helping to bring the outside in by providing plentiful sunlight -- all while giving you just the right degree of privacy with a variety of glass obscurity options.
Choosing Your Garage Door Finish
Ready to have some fun? Choosing a finish is your chance to make the garage door look as distinctive or universal as you want. You can find the perfect natural wood look that complements your home or create a neighborhood showstopper with a bold hue from over 1,500 Sherwin-Williams colors. The options are virtually endless! Our personal favorite is the timeless yet trendy look of Black Label Collection, our premium line of custom finished black doors.
Keep in mind, the garage door is a significant portion of your home’s exterior, typically half or more of your available curb appeal. So choose something that helps increase your home’s curb appeal and overall value. Also, the climate can play a big role in determining what type of finishes hold up the best. If you have concerns about what finish is best for you climate, like living right on the ocean for example, give Garage Headquarters a call and we can advise you on what works best in your situation.
When To Consider Garage Door Windows
A garage door with windows adds character and a sense of welcome to any house. Windows can make the garage door look unique and increase the home’s curb appeal. And just think, you’ll no longer have to inch your hand along the wall in the dark looking for a light switch thanks to the influx of natural light.
Garage door windows are customizable and available in styles and tints that will match almost any home style. There’s even impact resistant glass for those who reside in by the sea or are in high-wind areas. So, whether you live in a brand new contemporary or 100-year-old farmhouse, see how investing in a garage door with windows can benefit your home.
What Size Garage Door Do I Need?
When it comes to buying a garage door, the first thing to consider is the size of your door. For many homes, a single-car garage door is 8 to 9 feet wide and 7 to 8 feet high. Double-car garage doors are typically 16 feet wide, with a height of 7 to 8 feet. If your garage is built to accommodate a taller vehicle, such as a heavy-duty truck or recreational vehicle, your garage door could be 10 feet tall or more. If your garage door is a non-standard size, don't worry! Garage Headquarters offers garage doors in a variety of sizes, and we also offer garage door collections that accommodate custom sizing.
As part of our award-winning service, we can take the hassle out of the garage door buying experience. Give us a call or schedule your personal a Virtual Sales Appointment, sit back, and relax as we will take care of everything and present you with the finest garage door selection available in New England!
How to Measure for Your New Door:
If you are replacing an old garage door, and looking to have all of the information prepped to begin your garage door buying experience, the first step is to measure your garage opening to ensure you are choosing a door with the correct dimensions. Even if you feel confident that your door is a standard size, measuring first can help ensure that buying your door is an enjoyable and smooth process. If you find that you have an odd-sized garage door or if you have a unique vision for your home's curb appeal, Garage Headquarters will design custom garage doors to meet your specifications.
1 – HEIGHT & WIDTH
The rough opening is the height and width of the framed opening not including stop molding.
Rough opening should equal the same size as the door.
2 – LEFT & RIGHT SIDE ROOM
Side room is the distance required on each side of the door to allow for attachment of the vertical track assembly.
Minimum 3-3/4" is required on each side of the door for a standard extension spring or torsion spring system.
Minimum 4-1/2" is required for a standard torsion spring system above the opening for torsion spring attachment.
3 – HEADROOM
Headroom is the space needed above the door for the door, over head tracks, and springs. There should be no obstructions in the garage within this space.
Measurements from the top of the door opening to the ceiling (or floor joist) should be:
Minimum 10" for extension springs
Minimum 12" for torsion springs
Note: if there is restricted headroom, low headroom options are available.
4 – BACKROOM
Backroom is the distance required from the garage door opening toward the back wall of the garage.
Minimum measurements should equal height of the door plus 18"
What Should I Do For a Hurricane or Tropical Storm?
If you need to secure the door against high winds, you simply close and lock it. There’s no extra posts, pins or setup required.
Wind-Resistant Garage Doors
For garage doors built to protect against to hurricanes, tornadoes, and high winds, local building codes recommend you to have a garage door that’s wind resistant. The garage door is the largest entryway into your home and if strong winds breach the garage door it causes internal air pressure to build and there’s an increased chance the walls and roof will collapse.
Garage Headquarters’s Wind-Rated garage doors are rated for different wind speeds, so you’ll be able to select from what’s required in your area. The doors are also storm ready and contain built-in reinforcement.