Replacing your garage door is a valuable home repair

If you have an older home one of the first things you may consider changing are the garage doors. The good news, however, is that new garage doors have many great features that older ones do not, so you will get a lot of benefit from this project. The newer garage doors are insulated for both temperature and sound. You might find this handy if your son has started a rock group in the garage.

Today’s garage doors are much more secure than older ones and since we keep a lot more “stuff” in our garages than just cars, this is an important consideration. Last but not least, new garage doors and lovely to look at and are just about maintenance free.

Years ago, only wood was used for garage doors, but today you have a choice between steel, fiberglass and synthetics. You can have any look you want to suit the exterior of your home. New models are constructed with a fitted tongue and groove panels that are just as impervious to wind ran or snow as your front door is. Most of the garage doors sold today have safety features so that they cannot close if they hit an object, so that accidents such as closing the doors on your car or a child or pet cannot happen. They may even have a feature where the object is pushed away from the panels so fingers can’t be caught.

The newer doors offer light panels, but still afford security since they are made of unbreakable plastic. There are even models that send a different code each time your garage door is opened, so thieves who steal codes are stymied. All of these features are great, but because of their complexity, they make installing your own garage doors difficult. These doors are heavy and therefore difficult and dangerous to install, the springs are very strong and if not handled well can cause serious injury. Even maintenance should be left to experts, and someone less handy should only stick to the easy tasks of oiling the wheels, hinges and tracks.

Installing garage doors is a big job and you should consider hiring a professional because of all of the risks that this installation entails. Manufactureres usually have recommended installing dealers on their website or you can go to the International Door Association to find a directory of professional garage door installing dealers.