5 Things to Consider in a Garage Conversion Door
For many Americans, a point comes when their existing home no longer provides enough living space. This may be due to a growing family or the changing dynamics of the household makeup. For some people, these changes mean selling the home and buying a larger property. However, many people choose to create more living space in their existing home instead.
As well as adding an extension to the home, converting a garage into extra living space is also a popular option. It’s a cost-effective and relatively simple way to achieve the goal of more living space, and it doesn’t require as much paperwork or mess as a traditional extension project.
When planning a garage conversion, you need to remember that if you decide to sell your home in the future, potential buyers may prefer a garage over extra floor space. So you would benefit by converting the garage in a way that makes it easy to revert the space back to its original purpose, i.e., maintaining a garage door instead of replacing it with a permanent wall.
If you’re planning a garage conversion for your home, here are five important things to consider to choose the perfect garage door for the project.
1. Insulation
Making your garage into a comfortable and useable living space means ensuring that you can keep it warm or cool throughout the different seasons. For this reason, it’s important to choose a garage door that has an insulated core.
An insulated core will help to regulate the internal temperature of your new living space and will significantly reduce your heating and cooling costs. In a region that experiences extremes of hot or cold weather, you might prefer to choose a garage door that has the highest insulation rating available for the best performance.
2. Weatherproofing
Another important feature of a garage door for a garage conversion is weatherproofing. The aim should be to prevent water from entering the living space and from draughts that reduce the energy efficiency of the space.
Opt for a garage door that has good-quality weather stripping along each edge of the door. If this isn’t an option on the door you prefer, you can ask for it to be added separately when your garage door is installed.
3. Natural Light
An abundance of natural light is an important feature for any room in the home, and your garage conversion is no exception. However, it can be difficult to achieve in this type of living space, particularly if the space has no existing windows. Opting for a garage door that has glazed panels is a great way to increase the level of natural light.
If you decide to install a garage door with glazed panels, remember to think about the insulation level of the glass. Standard single glazing isn’t very energy efficient and can negate the overall level of insulation of the door. Choose a door with double glazing or glass that has an insulating film applied to it.
4. External Access
The most important factor to consider when choosing a garage door is whether you want to allow external access to your new living space. Consider installing a wireless keypad on the external side jamb for convenient access. You can also have garage door openers installed that allow you to use your phone to open and close the garage door. These modern garage door openers (link to https://planooverhead.com/wled/ ) can be programmed to a monitor that you can put bedside to alert you if it opens or closes as well. If security and preventing access are the objective, there are a variety of ways to install locks and secure the garage door when it is closed. Also, if you want the space to appear like a garage, but no access is desired, garage doors can be installed to be permanent fixtures without the upper horizontal tracks, springs, or motor.
5. Aesthetics
Garage doors represent a large percentage of the front face of a home. This means that aesthetics are another important consideration when choosing a new door. An attractive garage door will enhance the external appeal of your home and increase its curb appeal. However, when you choose a garage door for a conversion project, you also need to think about internal aesthetics.
Your garage door will essentially be a large feature wall in the new living space that you create. Make sure that you choose a door that will fit in with the decor and won’t make the new living space look cold or uninviting.
Wooden or wood-look (link to https://planooverhead.com/wooden-style-doors/ ) garage doors are an excellent choice. They add natural warmth and charm to the interior space and also look great from the outside. If you prefer a splash of color, then a simple steel door that’s painted in a contemporary and stylish hue is also a great option.
With so many different aspects to consider, you may feel like choosing the right garage door for your conversion project is overwhelming. If this is the case, you’ll be pleased to know that help is at hand. Contact the helpful and friendly team at Plano Overhead Garage Door so we can help you find the perfect new garage door for your home.
