Caveat Emptor – Buyer Beware
People who are purchasing a home have to keep their eyes peeled for any problem that might pop up after they’ve purchased the home. While most sellers maintain their home in a respectable manner, a few don’t bother and try to hide issues that will cost you money in the long run. An area of the home that tends to receive the least amount of attention is the garage, in particular the garage door. However, an old garage door system can cause a variety of headaches ranging from higher utility bills to a safety hazard that may threaten you or your family.
Worn Down Doors Provide Less Protection
The type of material from which the door is fashioned is one of the first things to consider when inspecting an old garage. Wood may appear pleasantly rustic, but they tend to be the least durable of all the materials that comprise garage doors. Bends and cracks may have developed over the years, especially if you live in an area that features seasons which alternate between hot and cold, dry and humid, or both. This results in poor insulation that allows warm air to enter during the summer and escape during the winter, increasing the cost of running your HVAC systems.
Wooden doors are also much heavier than other materials, which represents a serious hazard should the opening mechanism malfunction or the latches break, sending the door plummeting to the floor.
Aluminum and steel doors don’t deteriorate as quickly, but still suffer from the effects over time. Steel doors may accumulate rust if a scratch or dent has broken the surface, eating the door from the inside out. Aluminum is less susceptible to moisture, but more prone to damage than steel.
Regardless of the material, any time a door doesn’t match the frame of the garage perfectly, air seeps in and out and if the space is large enough, insects and other intruders may be able to infest your garage.
New Manufacturing Techniques
Improved manufacturing techniques and environmental awareness have resulted in a new type of garage doors that vastly outperform doors manufactured 10 to 15 years ago, even if the old unit is perfectly maintained.
One of the newer materials consists of fiberglass/PVC overlay that provides fantastic durability and R‑value. This type of garage door can be made to take on the appearance of a wide variety of styles. requiring relatively little effort to maintain compared to more traditional wood, steel or aluminum doors. This type of material is very lightweight and often arrives treated with an anti‑UV chemical that prevents fading color. Fiberglass/PVC also doesn’t rot in humid conditions like wood and steel. Finally, warranties on fiberglass/PVC doors can be double the length compared to typical warranties for garage doors made of other materials.
The look of your garage door also counts, especially considering the amount of aesthetic space that it takes up compared to the rest of your home. Previously, doors were available in a few different colors. Now, manufacturers create doors with a greater color palette, including custom jobs that match the specifications you require.
The Importance of Insulation
A properly insulated garage door can make a huge difference throughout your entire home. Limiting the amount of warm air that escapes reduces the utility costs involved in enjoying a comfortable environment, especially during hot summers and cold winters. Older garage doors are less likely to provide the same R‑value of newer garage doors, especially if the insulation of the door has deteriorated over time. The proper installation of a new garage door increases the R‑value of the barrier compared to older doors, reducing air conditioning and heating costs.
Maintaining temperature control is important, but insulation also helps dampen the sounds originating from your garage, which is important if people hang out and watch tv or perform loud work. If your children play a musical instrument or start a garage band, both you and your neighbours will appreciate the sound dampening properties of a solid garage door.
As a house hunter, it’s up to you to make sure that you know exactly what you’re paying for when you decide to purchase a home. Working with inspectors and your real estate agent helps to ensure that all the angles are covered, including the effects of a home with an old garage door.
If you’re buying or selling a home, check out all the different options that you have in terms of replacing an old garage door. Manufacturers such as Garaga offer the latest in construction methods in the creation of fantastic doors that meet high aesthetic and performance standards.
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