How to Choose a Garage Door: A Practical Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1 to 3: opening, type, material

Start with what the building allows before you look at pictures.

• Measure width, height, headroom, backroom and sideroom of the opening
• Choose the type — sectional for nearly all homes, rolling steel for commercial bays
• Choose the material: insulated steel for value, composite or wood for looks, aluminum and glass for modern light

Step 4 to 5: insulation and windows

These two decisions determine daily comfort more than anything else on the order.

• Attached, conditioned or occupied garage: three-layer polyurethane, R-12 or better
• Detached storage: two-layer is usually enough
• Windows in the top section for daylight; obscure glass to keep privacy
• Insulated glass if the garage is heated or cooled

Step 6 to 7: hardware and opener

The hardware is where cheap quotes hide, and where a door's real lifespan is decided.

• Springs calculated to the finished door weight — ask for cycle rating in writing
• High-cycle springs if the garage is the main household entrance
• Sealed-bearing nylon rollers rather than plain steel
• Struts on the top section, and more on wide doubles
• Opener: belt-drive or wall-mount for quiet, 3/4 HP for heavy doors, battery backup
• New bottom seal and jamb weatherstrip included in the installation

Mistakes we see most often

Every one of these shows up on service calls within a couple of years of a bad installation.

• Reusing old springs with a heavier new door
• Skipping the strut on the top section, so the opener flexes the panel
• Buying an uninsulated door for a garage used as a gym, office or shop
• Choosing a dark color on an uninsulated door on a west-facing wall
• Ignoring headroom and discovering it on installation day
• Comparing quotes on door price alone while the hardware differs completely

Frequently Asked Questions

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