There are quite a few things that you would need to be concerned with when choosing a new garage door. Even though it might sound as if it’s the simplest task, there are quite a few different things that you would have to take into proper consideration. This is, of course, if you want to make an informed choice and to ensure that the door is going to be fit for its purposes. You can always go ahead and pick something at blind but this is definitely going to end up with complications and additional hassle.

We at AMPM Ottawa Garage Door Repair™ have taken it upon ourselves to provide our customers with a few helpful tips on how to select a garage door which is going to serve its purpose and provide them with the necessary security. Without any further ado, let’s take a quick look.

1. Set a budget
Before you go outside and look for a door, the first thing that you should do is to set a budget. A single car garage door would start from 700-800$ and a double one would start from 1600-1700$ for a uninsulated door with no windows (including the installation service). This is going to spare you a significant amount of time and effort. Determine a particular budget that you don’t want to go over of and make sure that you stick to it – this is important.

2. Check out the design
Of course, a lot of people would argue how important that is. However, the truth is that there are plenty of different design layouts and you need to ensure that the one that you pick up is going to match the exterior of your entire house. The last thing you want is for the door to look as if it’s something additional.

3. Check the insulation
The insulation of your overhead door is something which is going to determine a lot of things. Micro climate control is important and unless you want your electricity bills to skyrocket it’s important to make sure that the door has proper insulation.

4. Construction
There is a wide range of different options here which would all be based on the budget and the purpose of your garage door. If you want to ensure high-end security than a metal door of sturdy construction would be the obvious choice, with an opener connected to the door at all time to prevent manual opening. If you live in a city with a high volume of break-ins, you better take a door without any glass windows over the top panel as burglars take advantage and break the window so they can hook the manual release wire easily.

4. Spring system
Choose ONLY doors that come with torsion spring system, which is more stable and durable comparing to extension springs that usually located over the door. Some of the biggest home hardware Canadian stores and even local garage door suppliers deal with doors who made of very low-quality materials, as they use very thin layers of aluminum sheets and smaller hinges/hardware to save metal on the production process. Be aware and call us before you choose a supplier!

5. Openers, remotes, and keypads
If your bedroom is beside your garage door, consider belt driven opener. The most commandeered opener brands are Liftmaster-Chamberlain, Sears, and craftsman, any other brand will give less value for your money, and most likely less durability. If you don't have some old remote controls or keypad installed, buy a package that comes with 2 remotes and a keypad included. Some openers come with MYQ smart-phone WiFi garage door control system, as well as a laser beam that alerts when you reached the limit when parking your car in the garage.

Furthermore, you can contact the AMPM Ottawa Garage Door Repair™ in order to get professional maintenance, repair, and replacement services whenever you need them. This is just as important. We carry all parts as well provide 24-hour emergency services, 7 days a week. Our local office located at 116 Albert St, Ottawa, K1P 5G3, Ottawa, Ontario.