Garage Door Upgrades Add Real Value
Did you know a garage door replacement is one of the only home improvement projects that consistently increases home value year after year? According to the Cost vs. Value Report from Remodeling magazine, garage door replacement was the only project that showed an uptick in resale value over the previous year. This makes it a smart investment not just for aesthetics, but also for ROI.
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Prepare to be dazzled
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Know the Facts
Luckily, many manufacturers are aware of all the different options available and how it can be overwhelming. Because of this many of their websites are equipped with digital visualization tools.
- At Wayne-Dalton’s slick Garage Door Design, you can upload a photo of your own house, then overlay hundreds of styles, window shapes and colors. No photo? Choose from stock images to approximate your home.
- The Door Designer from Amarr Door is a simple program that uploads architectural renderings onto stock house designs. When you’re done, e-mail the finished design to Amarr for a price quote tailored to your area.
Garage Door Construction Types:
- Single-layer construction features a simple outer layer of steel, fiberglass, or engineered wood. The basic doors are lightweight, which is easy on springs, and low cost. Their insulating value is negligible.
- Double-layer construction has an inner and outer skin sandwiched around a layer of polystyrene board for rigidity and an insulating value between R-4 and R Premium construction has inner and outer layers of high-quality steel or wood. Fiberglass sandwiched around a thick layer of polystyrene or polyurethane insulation for maximum stiffness and insulating values that exceed R-15.
Material Options (Types and Cost)
1- Aluminum
- Tempered glass or acrylic panels in aluminum frames
- Contemporary look
- Heads up: Glass is fragile
- Insulating value: Minimal
- Cost: $1,500–$2,000 (16×7 ft)
Steel:
- Heavy-gauge steel embossed with wood grain or stucco
- Available with decorative overlays and foam cores
- Heads up: Steel can dent
- Insulating value: R-6 to R-17
- Cost: $750–$3,500
3- Wood
- Made from moisture-resistant cedar, redwood, or cypress
- Superior curb appeal
- Heads up: Requires refinishing
- Insulating value: R-3 to R-6
- Cost: $400–$4,000+
4- Fiberglass
- Foam core + steel frame with fiberglass skin
- Mimics wood grain and color
- Heads up: Single-layer can be brittle
- Insulating value: R-4 to R-12
- Cost: $1,100–$1,800
5- Wood Composite
- Insulated core with composite wood panels
- Resists cracking, splitting, or rotting
- Heads up: Nearly as costly as real wood
- Insulating value: R-5 to R-8
- Cost: $1,200–$2,200
6- DIY Composite Kits
- Convert an old door into a carriage-style look
- Available from Garage Door Refacing or GarageReface
- Cost: $1,200–$1,400
Vinyl
- Durable layers of vinyl with foam core
- Resistant to rot, insects, and dents
- Heads up: Not eco-friendly (PVC-based)
- Insulating value: R-4 to R-12
- Cost: $900–$1,500