Garage Doors: Change Your Thinking

Garage doors have gotten a bad rap over the years. Well, not so much a bad rap as something of an apathetic one. It’s hard to get excited about it. No one rushes to their friends to tell them about the new one they just installed, a glimmer of excitement in their eye. This is unfortunate, because the fact is, there is a lot to be excited about. While there’s no doubt that these keepers of the gate are necessary, that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun. Also, think of all the things they do. They don’t merely act as a drawbridge. They act as protection, from both the elements and from people who would want to steal your belongings. They also act as an integral part of your home’s aesthetic. It’s time to change your thinking about these important parts of the house.

One misconception people tend to have about garage doors concerns the old debate about manual versus automatic. This should not even be a debate anymore. It ranges back from the days when automatic technology was still in its infancy and people had more problems than success. Those with manual types scoffed and thought that sacrificing a little convenience for the sake of a working piece of machinery was a small price to pay. Things have come a long way from those early days, however. Today, manual versions are difficult to find. Automatic has taken over the marketplace and the versions today make the first versions look primitive. You no longer have to choose between convenience and durability.

Another persistent myth regarding garage doors is that they have to be painted a light color because the sunlight will fade anything else. This is simply not true, because any good paint is going to come with protective coating to avoid that very scenario. While its true that lighter colors reflect sunlight better, and are thus a better choice to keep the inside cool, fading paint should be the least of your concern. Just make sure you buy a quality paint, just as you would for any other part of your house.

Finally, many people are under the mistaken belief that there isn’t a whole lot of options when it comes to the design and aesthetics of garage doors. More than any other myth in this article, this one is the most untrue. Maybe everyone on your street happened to choose a boring design, but that doesn’t mean there are only boring designs out there. If you shop around, you’ll see that you can find a design that matches just about every home aesthetic you can think of. There are even companies that will build according to customer order. There’s no excuse to settle for boring.