Prefabricated metal garages are customizable and each customer has the opportunity to specify the specific features that appeal to them and meet their needs. One of the features that has the greatest impact on the visual appeal of the garage is the style of door one chooses. The curb appeal of a house is one of the influential factors affecting the potential selling price and garage doors take up a large part of the street facing facade of a home. Having garage doors that are well designed and have an aesthetic appeal can be very important to the value of your home. In addition, the garage door is often the primary entry point for a home as people pull into their garage and then enter their home directly via a side door. For this reason, it is one of the most used entryways in any property.
Overhead / Panel Style Garage Door
Overhead or panel style doors are doors that run on a track mounted to the roof of the garage on the inside. When the door is fully open, it lies in the tracks against the roof of the garage and when it is fully shut, it fills the garage opening vertically by sliding along the track. In most instances, these doors are motorized and they can be opened and closed by using a remote without exiting your vehicle. The doors themselves are often constructed using hinged panels for ease of movement along the tracks.
Roll-up Garage Door
Roll-up garage doors are constructed in such a way that they open by rolling into a tight barrel at the top of the garage opening when open and unroll again to fill the garage opening when closed. These doors are normally manually operated with the support of a spring and are generally lighter than the overhead doors. They do not seal as tightly against the structure as the overhead doors however they do not take up space against the roof with tracks so there is a space-saving advantage inside the garage.
Swinging Garage Door
A less common option for garage doors is the swinging door option where the door opens and closes on hinges in a similar way to a standard house door. These doors take up no space in the garage for their mechanism and they are the most effective in terms of sealing against the weather. However, the hardware required must be heavy duty to take the weight of the large door. It is also important to note that the door will be blocked by snow in the event of a major snow event and you will not be able to access the garage until the snow is cleared. This type of door is therefore not suitable for heavy snow areas.
Sliding Garage Door
The final option for garage door style is the sliding door where the door slides open and closed along a track similar to a sliding gate. This option also has the advantage of not taking up any garage room for the mechanism and is more practical than the swinging door because the weight of the door can easily be handled by the sliding rail. This type of door is ideally suited to a home with a country feel.
When making your choice for which garage door you are going to select, keep in mind the overall style of the home. It is important for the garage doors to match the rest of the house in order to create the best overall impression.
