Two Tips to Follow When Buying a Garage Door

Posted on: 2 August 2021

Here are some tips to follow if you need to buy a garage door.

1. Get one with windows if your garage lacks artificial lighting

If your garage only has one overhead light and very few electrical sockets into which you could plug lamps, then you should look for garage doors with windows. This will enable you to get enough light into the garage during the day to enable you to possibly DIY this space or work on your vehicle without leaving the garage door wide open for light. This could also become a security issue or make the garage too cold to work in.

Even if your garage has plenty of plug sockets for lamps, having a door with windows will save you from having to keep your lamps switched on in this space when you're spending long periods in it during the day. If this is something you do regularly (for example, if you use your garage as a workshop for your DIY projects), then not having to rely on artificial light too often could help you to avoid costly electric bills.

If you like the complete privacy that comes with a windowless garage door but you want the aforementioned benefits of having a door with windows, you should look for garage doors that have frosted panes, as these will stop anyone outside the garage from seeing inside it.

2. Consider your plans for the garage

A garage door can cost quite a bit and requires some effort to install. As such, it's important to consider your plans for the garage when picking the door so that it will still be suitable if how you use this space changes over the coming years. 

For example, if you currently use it as a storage space for surplus belongings, then a standard tilt-up or roll-up door might be fine for the garage's current purpose. However, you're going to convert the garage into an additional bedroom or home office, then you might want to get a garage door that is more akin to a standard house door, such as a sliding or side-hinged door.

This will mean that whoever uses this bedroom won't feel like they're sleeping in a (nicely decorated) garage or, if you use it as a home office, that your clients or business associates who visit won't have to lug a hefty door upward when entering this space, but can instead slide or pull the door open like they would with a standard internal door.

Share

Tips on Choosing Security Doors

Over the last couple of years, we’ve seen an increase in burglaries where I live. While we’ve been lucky so far, my husband and I decided to increase our home security to be on the safe side. We both work long hours and like to take long holidays. This leaves our house empty all day during the week and for a good few weeks in the summer. One of the things we looked at was adding security doors to our property. I was surprised at the choice of products and solutions that are on the market, each of which has its own pros and cons. I thought other homeowners looking to beef up their security might find it useful to read about what we learned so I set up this blog!