A question I get asked a lot from people who are considering replacing their garage doors with newer, more energy efficient ones is “Should you replace your garage door?” Energy efficiency has been a big talk of the last few years as natural resources become more expensive. It is also becoming very apparent that burning fossil fuels like oil and coal will lead to much more costly problems for humanity in the future, not to mention putting our environment at risk. So, replacing your garage door is an excellent idea if you want to save money, protect the environment, and be more self-sufficient.
Now, what if you decide that it might be a good idea to replace your garage doors with a more energy efficient model? That’s a great idea and one that I encourage you to consider. But before you run out and buy your new garage door, there are a few things you need to think about. For instance, is it still a good idea to replace your current garage door with a cheaper, fiberglass, sliding steel door? Or would it be better financially if you spend a little more money and install a wood, composite, or aluminum garage door instead?
Well, the first thing you should do is figure out if you can indeed afford to have a new garage door installed. Now, this is where things get tricky, because although garage doors can definitely be bought new these days, if they are older models, then there is a good chance that they are beyond repair. If you’re planning on doing the installation yourself (or hiring someone to do it for you), you might want to consider changing over to a wood, composite, or aluminum garage door as opposed to a plastic or fiberglass door. The reason why this is the case is because plastic and fiberglass garage doors tend to deteriorate at much faster rates than these other types of doors.
Even though this might be news to some, you should also keep in mind that it’s not just a matter of getting a cheaper price on your new door. You really need to think about the kind of door you have now – is it heavy enough to keep the weight of a full size car? What if you are planning on installing solar panels on your garage? Then a wooden or composite door might be a real mistake, since they don’t hold up well to strong solar rays and wind.
In addition to thinking about how your old door is holding up, you also need to think about what kind of opener it is that you have. For instance, a basic spring-loaded garage door opener is probably not a bad choice. On the other hand, if you have a high tech do it yourself type, then you’ll be interested in a smart key system. A keyless remote can open your garage door without touching it, and you can use it again. Some systems allow you to set up a program that will remember your password so that when you’re in the house it won’t open automatically unless you know the code.
As you can see, there are several factors that need to be considered before deciding on whether or not you should install a new garage door. Make sure that you consider all these factors. If you can’t afford to replace it, at least make sure you take the time to make sure it’s in good shape!