ELECTRIC OR MANUAL? HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE RIGHT GARAGE DOOR FOR YOU?

If you’ve been shopping for a new garage door, you’ve likely discovered that there are a great deal of options ~ a virtually endless list of styles, sizes, and material combinations. In general, we don’t usually think about our garage door, but the truth is, it plays a large role in the overall appearance of your property. An unsightly garage door will cause your property to look shabby, and thus the value and curb appeal will suffer. Accordingly, it’s important to have an excellent-quality garage door that’s solid and durable. When it’s time to buy a new garage door, you’ll want to land upon the perfect blend of resilience, price, looks, and acceptable maintenance requirements.

Electric Garage Doors

Pros

Safety. An automatic garage door is typically safer than a manual garage door. It will stop automatically when it detects an object blocking the way ~ such as a bicycle, trash can, or box ~ so that it won’t crunch it. That way, your garage door will be better protected, instead of getting damaged by hitting an object in its path.

An automatic garage door commonly also has a manual unlocking and locking mechanism. This functions as an effective fail-safe for maintenance and safety reasons. For instance, in case there’s a fire, to escape your home you might need to open the garage door. Furthermore, if there’s a power failure, you’ll be able to operate the garage door by hand.

Convenience. The handiness of a remote control is the chief reason most people want to have an automatic garage door. Of course, this very desirable selling point means you can open or shut the garage door without getting out of your vehicle. It’s also convenient to have a push-button control inside the garage. Either way, someone inside the garage should always be able to open the garage door if necessary. Therefore, you should keep one remote control permanently inside your car, and keep aside a second remote control just in case you lose your regular remote.

Aesthetics. One good point is, an automatic garage door doesn’t need to look like it’s electric. It really doesn’t have to look any different from a garage door that’s manual. Basically, an electric garage door doesn’t have to have a modern appearance to be modern. You can select any garage door style or material, including wood, wood composite, Fiberglas, aluminum, or steel ~ in long panels or raised panels.

Options. With an electric automatic garage door, you can adjust the speed of your garage door opening and closing. Also, there are many choices you can make so that your garage door suits your taste.

Cons

Maintenance. The maintenance requirements of an automatic garage door are more complicated than what’s necessary for a manual garage door; but overall, an electric garage door is hardy and dependable. There are many different kinds of automatic garage doors, so before you choose, look into what you’ll have to do to keep a good maintenance routine.

It’s essential to keep an automatic garage door well-lubricated so as to lengthen its life, ensuring that the door will work smoothly for as long as possible, at the lowest noise level possible. Furthermore, it’s a good idea to schedule an inspection once a year with a trustworthy garage door company.

Complicated installation. You can put in a whole new garage door, or you can convert your manual door into an electric one. The main difficulty with an automatic electric garage door is that its installation is more involved, and thus it must be carried out by an expert garage door technician.

If you’re brave enough to install the garage door yourself, it will take a huge effort. Please, don’t try to install an electric automatic garage door unless you’re sure you know exactly what you’re doing.

Manual Garage Doors

Pros

Lower cost. A single-panel garage door is often less costly than an automatic garage door. Plus, for repair or replacement of the torsion springs or cables, your cost will probably be lower.

Easy installation. A single-panel garage door is a solid slab, which, when it’s opened, slides up and into the area above your vehicle. It’s also called an “up-and-over” or “one-piece-up” garage door. There are only several parts, so it’s much easier to install. Most single-panel garage doors are hung on a sturdy hinge system that’s attached to the jamb. Once this sort of garage door is fitted with springs, it easily swings, so a garage door opener isn’t even necessary.

Simplicity. With fewer parts, there’s a lot less to maintain and fewer items that could potentially break down over time.

DIY. If your home is older, a single-panel garage door is ideal because it makes it relatively effortless for you to complement your house’s more traditional style. If you ever decide to retrofit the garage door hardware that you already have, a single-panel door is a less challenging choice.

Cons

Space limitations. If your neighborhood is closely packed, with space at a premium, you may be feeling cramped. Extra area in the driveway is required for a single-panel garage door to tilt up and down, which means that each time you open or shut the garage door, you’ll have to park a bit farther back.

Safety. A single-panel garage door has extension springs, which, if it fails, can be quite hazardous. If not maintained correctly, the springs can go straight through the wall! They can cause serious injury and can even be deadly.

Maintenance. Normally, if a single-panel garage door malfunctions, it fails completely, and the whole garage door can come down.

To find the garage door that’s just right for you, there are numerous features to consider. It all depends on the nature of your property; your garage’s uses (for example, perhaps your garage doubles as a game room, den, office, or shop); and also your taste, budget, and specific requirements. It’s truly best to find a professional. If you’re in Peachtree City, Georgia, hire a legitimate staff garage door technician from a reputable garage door company, such as Peachtree City Garage Door Repair, where free consultations are available.