What makes a good Door?

Four Qualities of Good Garage Doors

What makes a good garage door?  Is it the materials used?  Is it the color of the door?  Or, is it a combination of elements that come together to make the finished product?  Just like the various ingredients that go into making a tasty chocolate cake aren’t always very delicious on their own, the end product is really what you need to base your judgments on.

Garage doors are the often-overlooked but very important part of your home that many people fail to pay much attention to.  Of course, a door is a door, right?  Well, the difference between a solid, secure door and a flimsy, unreliable one is pretty significant.  One will properly secure the contents of your garage (which usually includes cars), while the other will act as little more than paper in the way of scissors.

So, what makes a garage door a good one?

1. Durability and quality of construction
   This point can’t be beaten to death because it’s very important.  A good garage door will feel solid, have a decent amount of weight to it, and won’t flex under pressure.  The raw strength of the door will be important in its ability to maintain long-term durability.
   
   Conversely, the durability will also be affected by the quality of the construction behind it.  Poor construction, such as screws that are loose or connections that are insecure, may lead to something as menial as a loose handle or something as severe as the door collapsing onto the hood of your car.  Purchase a poor quality door and take your chances, are invest in a good, durable one.
   
   
2. The materials used
   A good garage door will be made of a high quality wood, GRP or metal alloy, giving it enough weight and structural rigidity to hold up under pressure, weather, and age.  Do not skimp out and buy a bargain basement garage door- it will be made of either cheap, brittle wood or extremely thin (and weak) metal.
   
   
3. The design
   Yes, a garage door can have a design that makes it unappealing.  While most garage doors stick to the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) theory, some run off on a tangent that is filled with strange shapes, hexagons, crevices, and multiple colors.  Though unique (it’s a guarantee that no one else on the block will have that design), sometimes there’s something to be said about “less is more”.
   
   Stick to a garage door that is relatively basic on the design end of things.  10 or 15 years later you’ll be thanking yourself as your house retains its value for having timeless décor.
   
   
4. The color
   This can be changed, yes, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t effect the quality of the garage door.  If your house is dark brown, why on earth would you have a pink garage door?  Even the most color blind of people know to stick to basic earth tones and universal colors.  This prevents the garage door from looking out of place or clashing with your home.