Updating Your Garage Door During a Home Exterior Renovation

1. Updating Your Garage Door During a Home Exterior Renovation If you’re renovating your home exterior, you’ve probably thought about your garage door and the best way to ensure its aesthetic look matches the rest of your décor. Here are some tips for picking the right garage door to complement your renovation and your lifestyle. Aesthetics It’s important to make sure your garage door is attractive, especially since it can take up as much as 40% of the front of your home from the curb. Be sure that you take the time to think about the various materials, finishes, and colors that are available to you since each one looks unique when paired with different kinds of architecture. It’s also important to think about garage door accents. White does not always work the best, and dark colors can make your home appear smaller than it really is. Be sure to think about all of your options and choose the one that best suits your needs – and the rest of your exterior décor, too. Energy Savings While it’s important that your garage door looks nice, aesthetics isn’t everything. If your garage is attached, for example, then it is critical for you to choose a garage door that is well-insulated to prevent the transfer of heat or cold. Even if your garage is not attached, an insulated door can keep your garage up to 20 degrees warmer than a non-insulated door. Otherwise, you might just find that by installing the wrong garage door, your energy bills will skyrocket, and your furnace or air conditioner might struggle to keep up with the change. Function Next, you should think about how you want your new garage door to function. Most garage doors move up and down; some move with the press of a button and others require you to physically lift the door. Other garage doors open from side to side and wrap around the inside of the garage, and while this is a unique aesthetic, it can take up precious wall space at the same time. Most homeowners opt for vertical lift garage doors that are operated by an automatic opener these days. There are various opener types from which to choose, including push-button and automatic. Return on Investment Your new garage door might look nice and save you money on your energy bills, but if you wanted to sell your house immediately after installation, would you get a good return on this investment? According to a top magazine, Remodeling, homeowners recoup about 92% of what they spend on a garage door when they sell their homes. The better quality the door, and the better it is insulated, the more you can expect to get for it when the time comes to sell your home. It’s even better if you have your garage door serviced every year and you can provide proof of this to potential buyers. Renovating your home’s exterior can breathe new life into it, and it can completely change the way your home looks from the curb. Since your garage door is such an important aesthetic element, it is important that you choose carefully – but remember that looks aren’t everything. Energy savings and function matter, too.