Whether the design is for a residential home with a one- or two-car garage, a commercial property, or an industrial location, garage doors are probably going to be part of the picture. Unless one is building a property meant to be an elegant throwback to the Victorian days with side-opening, manually operating doors, electronic system which open from above and slide out of the way are considered more stylish and sensible for the modern builder.

Collections to Consider

Consumer choice starts with practical, basic choices with no reference to a particular style and no windows: just modern, geometric functionality. Selection continues into traditional paneled doors, arched and straight doors, and numerous materials including thermally protective ones. When you are choosing from the overhead doors presented in a brochure there are many factors to think of such as visual effects, ease of use, maintenance, budget, and long-term property value.

Wooden Overhead Doors

Think first of what material you want. Wood offers a traditional and warm effect, often in sympathy with a residential home’s other features or a business meant to convey home-spun values. Wood comes in many stains and can be painted numerous colors.

Light Aluminum

Aluminum withstands extreme temperatures better than wood and is lighter to operate with fewer maintenance issues. It can also be powder coated in several finishes to match a home or other property’s external color or contrast neatly with it. Add windows or not, according to personal preference and security issues.

Steel Overhead Doors

Insulated steel adds thermal value to the cost of overhead doors. Although they protect vehicles and expensive toys, these doors also hold heat or cold air in a space which, in turn, protects the rest of the home from overheating or becoming too cold. Steel is heavy and potentially more expensive but more secure and worth a fortune to the overall property value of a house. In a business context, these are far better for security than wood or aluminum.

Overhead Doors: the Vinyl Selection

Vinyl provides a further choice of secured overhead doors. They do not require the maintenance of wood but are as resilient to weather as steel and not prone to rust, cracking, or denting. Vinyl can also improve your home’s thermal efficiency and potentially keep vehicles from becoming frosty or overheated while tucked out of the way on days when weather is extremely hot or cold.

Design your Doors

With these options in mind, the consumer can either choose something from a catalogue which fits the rest of the building and the size of space allowed or create a bespoke product in keeping with every detail this person has in mind. He can select color, material, thermal properties, panel styles, windows, and the shape of a door or doors without compromising if there is money available to spend on a bespoke product.

Shapes to Ponder

Garage doors are available in old-fashioned and modern shapes; in squares and rectangles. Many buildings possess two or three doors such as a wide one on an extension to the front with a smaller one sitting back, a smaller copy of the larger version. Windows add contrast and shape whether they form an arch, a fan, or small squares that let in natural light. An overhead garage door can also be fashioned to mimic the old type of carriage door which would have been opened outward by grooms pulling heavy wood by iron handles. They fool the eye but are much easier to use and maintain than their antique counterparts.