Let’s face it; a garage door can either make or break the appearance of your home. It’s normally the first thing that visitors see when they drive to your compound. So, it’s wise to invest wisely in the home feature. Thanks to technology, garage materials like glass fiber, vinyl, and composite wood can now withstand weather elements like humidity and heat for a reasonable period.
Ideally, you have to look for a garage door that not only suits your style but also one that agrees with your budget. Other factors to consider include security features, insulation, opening mechanism, and maintenance. Simply, you have to find value in your money. With this in mind, we recommend you to consider the following best garage door types:
Roller (Rolling) Garage Door
If you want to create more space at your garage entrance, this garage door type is the most ideal. It works in places where space is limited. The door opens vertically by rolling up and closes the same way by rolling down. It can come fully automated and be customized to suit your individual needs.
Pros
- Saves on garage space
- Comes well insulated to save on energy
- Its sidewalls can serve as additional storage
- Are mostly automated
- Can suit any garage size
Cons
- Limited design. You can find it in only horizontal ribs style
- Can be expensive to install
Side Sliding (Round-the-Corner) Garage Door
Judging by the name, this garage door is meant to slide to the side when opening. Originally, the doors were built for garage spaces with limited headroom. Now, they are available for all headroom sizes. The door comes with an inbuilt motor that automates its operations.
There’s normally a floor rail that guides its movement. This makes the door a great option for different garage door openings. Unlike most garage doors, you don’t have to completely close the side sliding door.
Pros
- Allows easy access
- Doesn’t take much driveway space
- Works with most garage spaces
- Available in automated options
Cons
- Not cheap
- Doesn’t offer extra storage space as it’s the case of roller doors
Side Hinge (Hinge-Sided) Garage Door
This might be an old fashion garage door type but also a timeless one. Physically, it looks like a massive barn door. However, unlike barn doors that are limited to wooded options, you can find side hinge garage doors in galvanized steel.
The door opens from a hinged position and can move either side. Ideally, it’s meant for garage space with limited headroom. You can buy the garage door ready for DIY installation. Like most garage doors, this door can also be automated.
Pros
- Available in automated options
- Well insulated
- Installation can be DIY
- Can suit different garage styles
- Available in contemporary and traditional designs
- Easy to maintain
- Highly secure
Cons
- May take up more driveway space
- Not the best to automate
Sectional Garage Door
Like roller garage doors, sectional garage doors are designed to open upwards by sliding into the garage ceiling. Thus, they are a great choice for short driveways. The door comes well insulated and can be used to convert your garage space into a study area, office, or playroom.
Depending on your budget, you can have the garage built from different budget-friendly materials. Furthermore, the door is highly secure. So, if you are looking for a practical modern garage door, then you shouldn’t look beyond the sectional garage door.
Pros
- Keeps your garage door warm
- Mostly automated
- Ideal for limited space
- Suits different garage sizes
- Easy to maintain
- Easily customized
Cons
- Doesn’t allow the garage roof to be used as additional storage
- Limited designs
Carriage Garage Door
Before the invention of the car, carriage garage doors were in existence. So, they are a timeless option that you can use to give your garage door a classic appeal. Over the years, these doors have changed a lot. They are now available in amazing finishes and different materials.
While the original design was hinged one-sided and opened outwards, the modern design opens the same way as sectional garage doors. This gives them an elegant functionality and also saves on space. Like most garage designs, you can have your carriage garage door customized to suit your space.
Pros
- Beautiful classic design
- Available in a wide selection of materials
- Space-saving
Cons
- Can be expensive to install
Swinging Garage Door
Swinging garage doors are designed to open outwards or inwards and suit garages with extra spaces. If you have more space in the outside of your garage, the door should open outwards. Likewise, if you have more indoor space, the garage door should open inwards.
It’s available in unique designs meant to match different architectural homes. Currently, most homeowners are going for the wood style. It’s timeless and so it promises to remain trendy for many years to come.
Pros
- Available in amazing designs
- Easy to operate
- Easy to maintain
- Affordable
Cons
- Not ideal for limited spaces
- Cannot be automated
Tilt-Up (Up-and-Over) Garage Door
This garage door is not just simple to operate but also very secure. It’s built from quality materials like glass fiber, natural wood, and PVC. Ideally, the garage door comes in two major designs:
- Canopy design – This design features a hinge mechanism that makes the garage door to tilt up when opening and extend beyond the front part of your house, forming an awning.
- Retractable design – Like the canopy design, this design allows the garage door to be lifted. However, the door remains suspended and so it doesn’t extend beyond the front part of your house. Unlike the canopy style, the retractable style requires more space. Additionally, it’s a little difficult to operate and costlier if compared to the canopy style.
Both designs are available in manual and automated options and suit different garage spaces. Design-wise, tilt-up garage doors are easy to fit and can be cheaper than most garage doors. Moreover, the materials are chosen carefully to make the garage door weatherproof and durable.
Pros
- User-friendly
- Available in different material choices
- Highly secure
- Works with different garage sizes
- Available in automated options
Cons
- Are poorly insulated as a gap is ever-present between the framework and the garage door
Closing Thought:
Knowing that there are so many garage doors in the market, it’s important that you only go for the best. Fortunately, you don’t have to stress over it as the discussed options are the best there is. So, consider them the next time you upgrade your garage space.
