Should You Jump On The Vinyl Garage Door Bandwagon?

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Just 10 or 15 years ago, it seemed like almost everyone had a garage door made from steel, aluminum, or wood. Now, there's a new material creeping into vogue: vinyl. Vinyl garage doors are becoming increasingly common, and you've probably spotted a few of them in your own neighborhood. If the time has come to replace your garage door, you may be thinking of jumping on the vinyl door bandwagon, too. Before you call and schedule that installation, though, you'll do well to consider these pros and cons of vinyl garage doors.

Pro: Vinyl garage doors are very affordable.

If you have a garage door installation company out to your home and ask for some estimates, there's a good chance vinyl will be on the lower end of the estimates. You can often find vinyl doors for a few hundred dollars, plus the cost of installation. Aluminum doors are similarly priced, but you will pay a bit more for a steel garage door and substantially more for a solid wooden door, especially if you choose one with customized patterns.

Pro: You never have to paint a vinyl garage door.

Wooden doors need to be painted or stained at least every few years. Otherwise, they start looking tattered and become prone to rot. Aluminum doors typically come painted, and as the paint flakes off, you must re-apply it to keep the door looking attractive. If you don't enjoy painting, then a vinyl garage door just might be the perfect choice, since the color extends all of the way through the vinyl — it's not just painted on the surface. No harm will befall a vinyl door that's not painted.

Pro: The door won't warp as humidity levels change.

This is primarily an issue with wooden doors in temperate environments. The wood absorbs moisture and expands when it is humid, and then it releases moisture and contracts when the air is dry. Over time, this warps and distorts the wooden door. This is not a problem with vinyl doors, since they don't absorb moisture. They won't rust or corrode in a humid climate like metal doors, either.

Pro: Vinyl doors are lightweight.

Most of the time, the weight of your garage door does not really matter, since your automatic opener will open and close the door. But if your opener breaks and you have to roll the door up manually, you'll be really glad you chose a lightweight vinyl door rather than a heavy steel or wood one.

Con: You can't change the look of the door.

If you have a wooden garage door and get tired of its color, you can just paint it. The same is true for metal doors. However, vinyl doors cannot be painted, as paint won't stick well to the finish. Make sure you like the color and pattern you choose because you'll be stuck with that look for the life of your garage door.

Con: Vinyl doors require additional insulation.

This may not be an issue at all if you do not heat and cool your garage. However, if you do heat and cool your garage, you'll need to add insulation to the back of your vinyl garage door. It's just not a good insulator on its own like wood is. There are vinyl doors with layers of insulation sandwiched between them, and these can be very effective, though expensive.

If you find the idea of a vinyl door appealing, by all means get an estimate for this type of door. Sometimes the fact that everyone else is buying a certain product really does mean it's a good choice. 

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8 August 2017

Your Garage Doesn't Have To Be Your Security Weak Link

I'm Megan Moore. I have always been very security-conscious ever since I woke up to find an intruder rummaging through my belongings in my living room. I never wanted this to happen again, so I purchased a state-of-the-art security system. But despite the security measures that I put in place, my home was still burglarized. The problem was with my garage door. Somehow, a burglar was able to get the code to the garage door opener. I realized that my garage was my weak link and I set out to learn everything I could about garage doors and garage door security.