How Much Does a Garage Door Cost?
Your garage door is an engineering marvel. It’s the largest moving object in your home and it can be opened or closed with one-hand or the simple push of a button. It’s something you use every day, yet pay little attention to. If you’re like most people, you probably don’t even do regular maintenance on it. As a result, few people know the answer to the question “How much does a garage door costs?” or even “how long should a garage door last?”
How much does a garage door cost?
How much does a garage door cost?The answer of course depends on the type of door and the features you want to go with it. The least expensive doors start at a couple hundred dollars, while custom doors can be several thousand. The simple answer is that the average garage door used on most two-car garages is around $1000 to $1500. Add more insulation, windows or use wood, and the price will go up.
Determining the right garage door for your home is a lot like picking paint. It’s a personal decision that needs to fit your lifestyle, personality and budget. It’s also something you can’t take lightly because unlike paint, it’s not something that you can easily replace. And like paint, can improve the look of your home and make your house the pride of the neighborhood.
At Custom Door and Gate, we are your garage door service professional. We’ve been installing and repairing garage doors in the Raleigh, Fayetteville and Greenville areas since 1989. We know the ins-and-outs of both residential garage doors and commercial garage doors and can help you find the door that’s right for your home or diagnose your garage door issues.
Improve the Look of Your Home with a Custom Garage Door
Spring is the perfect time to spruce up the appearance of your home. Improve the look of your home with a custom garage door. The arrival of the warm weather has neighbors out walking and spending more time together outdoors. While most of the attention is on the emerging flowers and the prevention of weeds, it’s also a great time to add some curb appeal to the appearance of your home.
A simple and effective way to improve the look of your home is with a custom garage door. A custom garage door not only improves the look of your home for the whole year, it also adds value.
Your garage door makes a statement about you and your home. If you live in one of the many planned subdivisions common to the Raleigh, Fayetteville and Greenville areas, there’s a good chance your home was built with the builders choice of standard, low cost garage doors. Possibly the same door used on every house in your neighborhood.
At Custom Door & Gate, we can help you add enduring value and interest to your home with a new custom garage door. Take for example this custom garage door recently installed in Raleigh. Not only does it add character to the home, it provides valuable light and greater insulation to a critical area of the home.
At Custom Door and Gate, we’ve been installing and repairing garage doors since 1989. We know the ins-and-outs of both residential garage doors and commercial garage doors and can help you find the door that’s right for your home or diagnose your garage door issues.
Performing a Visual Inspection of Your Garage Door
You’re garage door is more than a wall that goes up and down. It’s a doorway to your home and a vital barrier from cold, heat and other elements that you want to keep out. By performing a visual inspection of your garage door, you can improve not only its performance, but also avoid future problems by identifying them early on.
To do this, stand inside your garage with the door closed. Now look for visual gaps in around the edges or in the seams where light is still coming in. Don’t forget to check at the bottom of the door. Visible light is a clear sign that your door is not properly aligned and that the load is unevenly distributed across the structure.
Next, inspect the garage door springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and mounting hardware. Each of these components has a very specific function and needs to be calibrated correctly. For example, cables and springs should be tight and not hanging loose. Hinges and wheels should be straight and not be rusty or worn.
The next test is easy. Open your door and listen to the sounds it makes. If you hear lots of creaking, rubbing or scrapping, that’s a good sign that it needs help. If you can isolate the noise, you can then check for physical wear and tear on those components.
Remember, performing a visual inspection is just the first step to Extending the Life of Your Garage Door. If you find something, you may want to have your door inspected by an expert. You may also want to review our blog entry entitled, “A Guide for Fixing Your Garage Door” with helpful tips on what you should and shouldn’t attempt to fix yourself. And if you decide that maybe you do need a garage door service professional, or even a new garage door, we hope you’ll Contact Custom Door & Gate..
Cleaning and Inspecting a Garage Door Photo Eye
As a child, I remember thinking it was a game to push the button and try to get out of the garage before the door closed without hitting the photo eye. Adults often think of the garage door photo eye as a nuisance. Regardless of what you think, the photo eye plays a critical role in the safety of your family. Yet nearly 20,000 garage door related injuries are reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission each year.
That’s why cleaning and inspecting a garage door photo eye is an important step in maintaining the proper function of your garage door.
The photo eye works by sending an invisible bean across the opening of your garage door. When the door is coming down, if something breaks this beam, the door should automatically go back up. If this doesn’t happen, you should replace your automatic garage door opener or call a service technician.
More frequently however, the issue with the photo eye is that it is out of alignment or dirty and your door will not go down at all. If this is your issue, fixing your garage door shouldn’t be too hard.
The first step to solving this problem is cleaning the photo eye lenses. Because of its proximity to the ground and environment, the photo eye can become very dirty. To clean it, use a clean cloth and mild cleaner. The photo eye is normally made with glass and you should use the same care with it that you would a camera. Scratches or other markings may cause it to function improperly.
Next, check the alignment of your photo eyes (one on both sides of your garage door). You can do this visually or by measuring the height of each photo eye from the ground, and using a level to make sure they are pointing straight across at each other. A laser level is very helpful but not necessary.
To test the photo eye, push the door transmitter or wall button to trigger the door to close. If it closes, the eyes are correctly lined up. Now use a broom or some other object to break the beam to ensure that the door opens. If the photo eye functionality is working correctly, the door should reverse and return to the open position.
If you decide that you do need a garage door service professional to help you diagnose problems with your photo eye or even pick a new garage door, we hope you’ll Contact Custom Door & Gate.
Garage Door Upgrades Top Home Improvement Investments
Remodeling magazine has recently published their annual Cost vs. Value survey. For the third year in a row, eight of the top 10 remodeling projects that render the best return on investment are those that enhance curb appeal.
Whether you choose to replace your garage door with a mid-range door or high-end upgrade, garage door replacement takes two of the three top spots for home improvements that cost less than $5,000.
The elevation of the majority of homes incorporates the garage door at front and center. The emphasis on an attractive, yet practical garage door is a worthy investment. At 75.7%, a mid-range garage door replacement ranks second on ROI when spending less than $5,000.
Custom Door & Gate offers a full line of Clopay® garage doors; from affordable steel doors, to contemporary aluminum and glass doors, to hand-crafted carriage house style wood doors.
Use our Visualizer tool to “try on” a new garage door and design coordinating doors to maximize the “wow” factor.
Our staff of professionals are happy to answer your questions about Garage Door Upgrades and assist you with the design process. We’ll assure you choose the perfect door to complement your style without breaking your budget. Or stop by our showroom in Raleigh where you can see the quality products we sell first-hand.
Gallery® Collection Door Installation – Cary, North Carolina
Recently, Custom Door and Gate installed a beautiful Gallery® Collection garage door in Cary, NC on the Newman home.
The Newman’s chose the Gallery Collection long panel design in Walnut Ultra-Grain finish (Model #GD1LU), and added Arch 2 windows with grilles. Look at the difference a beautiful set of Clopay garage doors made to the curb appeal of this home!
BEFORE
AFTER
Embossed with a natural woodgrain texture, the Gallery Collection features vintage appeal with updated technology. Available in 2 or 3-layer steel construction, not only is it maintenance-free, but durable and beautiful as well. Wind Code rated doors are also available.
- Insulated or non-insulated steel frame construction
- Polystyrene or Intellicore® insulation
- Long or short groove panel designs
- Windows with optional snap-in grilles, insulated glass and acrylic wrought iron designs
- Decorative hardware
- Five factory finish paint colors OR
- Ultra-grain® paint finish giving a stained wood look (available in medium and dark oak and walnut wood-grains)
Contact the garage door experts at Custom Door & Gate for assistance with your garage door purchase!
Insulated Garage Doors Improve Home Comfort and Energy Savings
The change in season often marks a change in a home’s thermostat. With homeowners making increasingly eco-conscious choices, we look for ways to increase energy savings, but one place that is often overlooked is the largest opening to a home, the garage door.
Replacing a non-insulated garage door with a newer, improved insulated one can make a huge difference in a home’s ability to retain heat in the winter months and keep a home cooler during warmer weather. Interior home temperature, energy savings and power-saving costs are immediate.
Insulated doors are sure to be a home investment that you will appreciate for many years to come, and they are great for the environment!