Tips For Choosing The Most Secure Garage Door

If you're moving into a new home and plan to use your garage to store an antique car or other valuables, you may want to replace the garage door with one that is more secure. There are several types of garage doors you can buy. They vary in types of material used as well as styles. Here are a few tips for buying a new garage door with security in mind.

Garage Door Material

Garage doors are made from aluminum, steel, vinyl, wood, composite wood, and fiberglass. Each type has its advantages, but when it comes to security, wood and steel are great options. A solid wood door is nearly impossible to break through. The drawback is that the door is very heavy. Plus, a wood door needs a lot of maintenance to keep it looking good. A steel door that has double or triple layers is also very secure; however, it's possible to puncture the steel, even though it is difficult to break through. One advantage of steel is that it is very strong, but it is much lighter than wood. Aluminum and vinyl doors are lightweight, and that makes them easier to break into. Composite wood and fiberglass doors are made from wood and a mixture of resin or glass fibers. These doors are strong, and therefore good choices, and they have the added advantage of needing very little maintenance because they don't decay or rust.

Insulating Quality

If you plan to store valuables in your garage, you may want to control the climate inside. This will be much easier to do if you buy a garage door with good insulation. Triple panel steel doors are very efficient at insulating your garage because they have layers of insulation sandwiched between the panels. Any type of garage door can have a layer of insulation added to the back of it, but having insulation packed inside the door makes the door more energy efficient and more attractive too. Solid wood doors are great at blocking wind and drafts, but they are not the best for insulating your garage. If controlling the temperature in your garage is important to you, then you'll want to pay attention to the quality and type of insulation used in the door you choose. Also, once the door is installed, you'll want to add weatherstripping around the frame and seal any gaps to keep out cold air.

Windows

Windows add an attractive feature to garage doors, but they also allow prowlers to see inside your garage. For the most security, you may want a garage door that doesn't have windows. However, if you want to let natural light into your garage, then be sure to choose a door with secure windows. The windows should be at the top of the door so it isn't easy to see in them when standing in your driveway. They should also be small so no one can climb through them or knock one out and reach inside your garage. You may also want film on the windows that blacks them out. The film lets light in while providing privacy. It also blocks UV rays, which helps control the temperature inside.

When you look at all the garage doors for sale, you'll see there is a huge variety when it comes to styles and designs. Even if security is your most important concern, you'll still have plenty of choices so you can choose a material, color, and design that complements the rest of your home.

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