Whether you’re a new homeowner or are refreshing the look of your existing home, buying a garage door is an exciting opportunity for you to breathe new life into your home’s exterior. Many homeowners replace their garage door once in their lifetime, so finding the perfect mix of function, fashion, and affordability is an important part of the process.
To help you make the decision best for your home, our buying guide offers a collection of garage door information below, including overviews of garage door styles, materials, insulation, brochures, garage door comparisons and more. We also offer information on how to measure and install your garage door when you’re ready to make the switch.
When you’ve found a garage door you’ll love on your home, call, email, or come visit Consolidated Garage Doors!
Canyon Ridge Carriage House 5-Layer – Design 22, ARCH4 Windows, Slate Finish
More than any other feature of your garage door, the choice of style should be based on your personal preference and home style. While some architectural styles tend to pair well with a specific garage door style — like modern architecture with full-view doors, or Victorian architecture with carriage-house doors — the choice is ultimately yours.
View our overviews of traditional raised-panel, carriage-house, and contemporary garage doors, then try a garage door on your home using our Door Imagination SystemTM.
Carriage House
Contemporary
Traditional
Gallery Steel – Short Panel, SQ24 Windows, Ultra-Grain Oak Medium Finish
Ready to have some fun? Choosing a finish is your chance to make the garage door look as distinctive or universal as you want. You can find the perfect natural wood look that complements your home or create a neighborhood showstopper with a bold hue from our Color Blast® program, which offers 1,500 Sherwin-Williams® colors or a custom tint. The options are virtually endless.
Keep in mind, the garage door is a significant portion of your home’s exterior, so choose something that helps increase your home’s curb appeal and overall value. Also, the climate can play a big role in determining what type of finishes hold up the best. Consolidated Garage Doors can advise you on what works well in your area.
Canyon Ridge Carriage House 4-Layer – Design 22, SQ24 Windows, Ultra-Grain Cypress Walnut Finish
A garage door with windows adds character and a sense of welcome to any house. Windows can make the garage door look unique and increase the home’s curb appeal. And just think, you’ll no longer have to inch your hand along the wall in the dark looking for a light switch thanks to the influx of natural light.
Garage door windows are customizable and available in designs that will match almost any home style. There’s even impact resistant glass for those who reside in high-wind areas. So, whether you live in a brand new contemporary or 100-year-old farmhouse, see how investing in a garage door with windows can benefit your home.
Budget is important for many homeowners considering a new garage door. The cost of a garage door depends on a variety of factors, including material, insulation, style, hardware, number of doors and sizes, and more. When choosing a budget, most homeowners primarily consider the importance of the door’s aesthetic appeal, whether the door needs to be insulated, and how durable the door should be.
Homeowners who seek an entry-level, non-insulated garage door for their home in the range of $900 including installation. These doors are a nice choice when style or quiet operation are not a critical factor, the average temperature is moderate, and the door will be lightly used.
For homeowners who want to increase their curb appeal, attractive carriage house, modern, or classic raised-panel garage doors are a popular choice. These garage doors can range in price from under $1,000 for a single-car garage door to $4,000 and beyond for fully custom double-car garage doors. These doors typically have better energy efficiency, durable and quieter operation, and increased curb appeal that can increase the resale value of your home.
Energy costs are a consideration for every homeowner’s budget, yet many homeowners overlook the impact that an insulated garage door can have on both energy costs and comfort. With the garage being the largest entry to most homes, it is one of the most susceptible to heat loss, which makes it a good opportunity to increase energy efficiency
Clopay’s Intellicore insulation expands to fill the entire garage door, providing industry-leading R-values (up to 20.4) for consistent comfort in adjacent rooms next to and above the garage. Looking for more information on Intellicore? View our Intellicore page or review the results of a consumer review of a new insulated Clopay garage door.
GUIDE TO GARAGE DOOR INSULATION ABOUT INTELLICORE INSULATION TECHNOLOGY
Natural Wood
Steel & Composite
Aluminum & Glass
Faux Wood
The material you choose for your garage door can be based on a combination of style preferences, maintenance considerations, and durability. Steel garage doors can be a great choice for durability, and our Ultra-Grain finish can provide the beautiful appearance of wood without the upkeep of natural wood.
When a natural look is the most important factor, nothing beats the classic look of a wood garage door. Clopay offers wood doors in a variety of species from Redwood to Luan with styles ranging from raised-panel to modern. If you are seeking a one-of-a-kind curb appeal, choose a fully custom handcrafted garage door that is sure to add your personality to your home’s exterior.
When clean lines and natural light is needed, aluminum and glass can be an excellent choice. Our full-view style doors can modernize your home while also helping to bring the outside in by providing plentiful sunlight — all while giving you just the right degree of privacy with a variety of glass obscurity options.
When it comes to buying a garage door, the first thing to consider is the size of your door. For many homes, a single-car garage door is 8 to 9 feet wide and 7 to 8 feet high. Double-car garage doors are typically 16 feet wide, with a height of 7 to 8 feet. If your garage is built to accommodate a taller vehicle, such as a heavy-duty truck or recreational vehicle, your garage door could be 10 feet tall or more. If your garage door is a non-standard size, don’t worry! Clopay offers garage doors in a variety of sizes, and we also offer garage door collections that accommodate custom sizing.
Follow these instructions to measure your existing garage door. Take these measurements to your local installing dealer or retailer to purchase the Clopay garage door that is right for you.
The finished opening is the height and width of the framed opening not including stop molding.
Side room is the distance required on each side of the door to allow for attachment of the vertical track assembly.
Headroom is the space needed above the door for the door, over head tracks, and springs. There should be no obstructions in the garage within this space. Measurements from the top of the door opening to the ceiling (or floor joist) should be:
Note: if there is restricted headroom, low headroom options are available.
Backroom is the distance required from the garage door opening toward the back wall of the garage.
One of the most often overlooked aspects of buying a new garage door is choosing the appropriate track. The tracks house and guide the rollers, which enable smooth travel of the garage door. It’s important to select tracks that fit the garage, allowing for the proper amount of headroom and sideroom so the door can operate.
Clopay offers various track options to accommodate different garage layouts and needs. Some of the options include a standard radius (most common), vertical lift and high lift, but also a track that follows the pitch of your roof if necessary or one that avoids interfering with handles or windows. Before you buy a new garage door, be sure to do some research on what track options would work best in your garage.
While some homeowners opt to install their garage doors on their own, many find it a convenient and worthwhile investment to hire a professional to handle installation. In most cases, Consolidated Garage Doors can install your door in a significantly shorter amount of time than DIY installation, helping to ensure minimal disruption to your daily routine.
In addition, when you choose Consolidated Garage Doors to replace your current door with a Clopay garage door, you’ll receive a one-year installation warranty to give you additional peace of mind. Learn more about our installation warranty here.
Browse our collection of residential garage doors available from Consolidated Garage Doors, then contact us to request a free quote or to visit our local showroom.