How to Choose the Best Garage Door for Your Home

Carriage-style garage doors on a home
Choosing a new garage door can be exciting. In recent years there have been many updates to styles and types of garage doors. This is great for the design of your home, but all the options can be overwhelming. Here’s how to choose the best garage door for your home.

Consider Price

Doors come in a range of prices. Amounts depend on many things, including your location. You can pay as little as $400 for a low-end model that you install yourself. On the high end, costs can be as much as $10,000.

For most homes around Vancouver and Portland, the typical cost ranges from around $700 to $2000 for a 16-by-7-foot door. This price includes installation. A garage door opener starts at around $200.

Advancements in Garage Doors

Along with just about everything else under the sun, garage doors have become marvels of technology. We’ve discussed “smart garages” that use WiFi enabled garage-door openers.

But it’s not just openers that are smart these days. High-performance materials that don’t weigh a lot insulate today’s doors. Some manufacturers apply energy-saving glazes. The inside of a door can be attractively finished and baked-on exterior coatings offer lasting beauty.

Perhaps the biggest change in garage doors is the large selection of faux looks available. A steel door can appear like polished or rough wood. It can mimic a traditional wooden carriage door or boast a sleek modern look. It can recreate the grain in lumber and some can even be stained.

Design Options

Carriage House Garage Doors: A century ago, the carriage house served as the garage for affluent families who owned their own horse and buggies. While the doors to these storage houses were once side-hinged and swung out to open, the current trend of housing automobiles in carriage houses has eliminated the swinging door. In today’s world, garage door manufacturers conjure the carriage house appearance with a door that opens from the ground up and comes in a variety of custom colors, trim, and windows. Choose carriage house style for a classic look that best suits homes with an old-world character.

Contemporary Garage Doors: Looking for a more modern style? Choose a garage door that makes a statement. Crafted from aluminum, glass, wood, or even metals like steel, copper, or zinc for a sleek, cutting edge appearance. These elements combine for a current look perfect for housing your vehicle in style.

Raised Panel Garage Doors: A staple in classic American design, the raised panel garage door offers you reliable construction with timeless appeal. Looking for a little customization? Flex your design muscles with wood versions and windows placed to enhance this door’s aesthetic appeal. Want more color? Wood can be painted or stained to suit your preferences. Raised panel garage doors also come in fiberglass or composite materials that resist dents and offer paint-ready textures for a look that’s all your own.

Three car garage

Where Should I Buy a Garage Door?

You can purchase a garage door through Ponderosa. We install nearly any style door, from classic raised panel sectional doors to stylish carriage doors.

Our professional and courteous staff help you find the door you want. We can help you assess the pros and cons of various materials and recommend a door that suits your home and lifestyle. We’ll go through your choices to ensure you get the door you want. We use high-quality doors from major manufacturers. For most homeowners, the safest and easiest route to a new door is to hire a full-service local garage door company.

Professionals handle all the nitty gritty, from measuring and configuring to assembly and installation. When you choose Ponderosa, you’ll have the option of purchasing lifetime warranty springs. Torsion springs are among the most critical components of a door. When they fail, both the spring and door can be dangerous.

Home improvement stores sell garage doors. If you choose one of these, you’ll have to install it yourself or hire someone to do the work for you. For most, this isn’t a realistic choice as garage doors can be dangerous. The powerful springs, weighty doors, and multiple moving parts require skill and tools beyond what most homeowners possess. If you find a door at a home improvement store, professional installation will run from $200 to $500.

Popular Garage Door Manufacturers

  • Delden
  • Clopay
  • Amarr Heritage
  • Wayne Dalton
  • CHI Overhead Doors
  • Haas Door
  • Martin Garage Doors

When you’re ready to upgrade, replace, or repair your garage door, call our expert team at Ponderosa Garage Doors. We’re licensed, bonded, and insured, and we’re ready to install your next project.