A New Garage Door Can Increase Your Home’s Value

 

 

A new garage door ranks as one of the top five home improvement projects that generates the highest return on investment at resale, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2016 Cost vs, Value Report. Homeowners can expect to recoup 91.5 percent of their investment in a new garage door.

Ten years ago, garage doors didn’t rate as an important exterior design consideration, but that has changed. Today, the range of garage design and material options is almost endless, which means you can get a door that not only secures your home and enhances its curb appeal — it can improve its energy efficiency at the same time.

So you ask yourself, how do I buy a new garage door? This isn’t an item you just try on or have delivered to your home to just see how it looks with all your other décor.

We at A Plus Garage Doors can help you here. We represent many excellent manufacturers and can not only give you different styles and colors to choose from, but also can advise on which doors have the best curb appeal and can improve your home’s value the most.

Here are some tips when buying a new garage door.

How much do garage doors cost?

Once you figure out the look you’re going for, evaluate these popular garage door styles and see what fits your budget:

Aluminum garage door: Rust-resistant aluminum is ideal for humid, caustic environments. The average cost for a 16-by-7 double door: $1,500 to $2,000.

Steel garage door: Steel doors offer the broadest range of color, insulation, and price options. You can get anything from an entry level, single-layer, non-insulated door up to a premium three-layer, 2-inch polyurethane insulated door. The average cost for a 16-by-7 double door: $750 to $3,500.

Wood garage door: There’s no substitute for the distinctive look of wood. It’s typically made of moisture-resistant cedar, redwood or cypress and offers the most flexibility for custom designs. The average cost for a 16-by-7 double door made of quality wood: $1,200 to more than $4,000.

Composite wood garage door: A durable, low-maintenance material that looks like real wood, faux wood composite eliminates many of the drawbacks of natural material. It’s moisture-resistant. The average cost for a 16-by-7 double door: $1,200 to $2,20

Should you buy an insulated garage door?

Most garages aren’t heated, but your garage door still impacts your home’s energy efficiency. Construction materials and insulation technologies for garage doors have improved significantly over the last five to 10 years. Today’s doors provide a tighter seal against the façade to keep out the elements.

If your garage is attached to the house, your best bet is to purchase an insulated door, especially if there’s an occupied room above the garage. It will help reduce both noise and the utility bills.

Also, consider the direction your door faces. If it’s baking in the sun all day or getting blasted by the wind, an insulated door will better regulate the temperature inside.

What’s the safety factor for the garage door?

If you live in a high wind or hurricane-prone area, make sure your garage door can withstand the elements.

Because of their size, garage doors are more susceptible to wind damage than other exterior openings. Garage doors must have additional bracing, heavier gauge tracking and other necessary hardware to help keep them in place under extreme winds.

If you’re buying a new door, look for models that are “storm ready” with a built-in passive reinforcement system, which requires no advance set-up before a storm

What else do I need to know before buying a garage door?

If you’ve never purchased a garage door before, here are some common misconceptions:

• Buying a garage door opener is a separate purchase — not included in the price of a new garage door. However, most garage door installation companies also sell openers.
• Interested in carriage house doors, but think you lack the room for doors that swing open? Not to worry! Carriage-house style doors only look like they swing open. They actually move up and down on a standard track, just like every other garage door.
• Be sure to ask if the cost of the garage door includes installation.

We at A Plus Garage Doors hopes this information helps when you are considering a new garage door. If you were to ask any of our customers, you would find that we are not only one of the most affordable garage door companies in Baldwin County, but also one that will advise you of the best options when either buying a new door or replacing one. Please call us in Eastern Shore at 251 626-0773 or in South Baldwin at 251 971-3331.