Garage
Doors: A Range of Options
There is a range of options and prices for garage doors, starting with
basic stock offerings and moving up to architecturally designed custom
doors. With a little homework you can select the best door for your home—and
stay within your budget.
When selecting a garage door for your
home, the list of questions includes basic material, style, and price.
There is a range of options and prices for garage doors, starting with
the basic stock offerings and moving up to architecturally designed custom
doors. The wood you select, the quality of the insulation, the glass inserts,
and the panel style will all impact the purchase price of your garage
door. Of course, you can pay bargain basement prices for a garage door
that will only last a few years. Or, break out the checkbook for a craftsman’s
$10,000 work of art. With a little homework, however, you can find the
best door for your home while staying within your budget. Here are some
general guidelines for what to expect when you go shopping.
Stock Doors
No matter the material you choose, a basic garage door comes without significant
panel design and without glass. From there, each upgrade will impact the
cost of your door. Whether you install it yourself, the degree to which
you customize your selections, and the materials you select, will determine
whether your door is on the low, medium, or high end of the spectrum.
A basic wood garage door for a 2-car garage made of pressed wood or Masonite,
with recessed panels, ready for paint will cost around $575. In the value
range, customers can also select flush faces or upgrade the wood for an
increase in price. This price will not include installation, but typically
includes new tracks and rollers. Ordering the door installed typically
adds about $100, as do basic glass inserts. An average steel door, single
faced without insulation or windows, typically costs about $360.00. Adding
windows to steel doors is slightly more expensive, but installation costs
are usually the same. |
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A
semi-custom door from Clopay, stained to match a home’s exterior.
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Semi-Custom
Doors
In the mid- or semi-custom range, customers begin to select among panel
styles, glass inserts and designs. Homeowners select from a kit of styles
to create the door that best suits their home. In this range there are
more wood types available, 6 or so panel designs, and different levels
of glass inserts and designer-look glass options. Wood doors in this range
may be hemlock, on the low end, cedar, or mahogany at the upper end. Semi-custom
wood doors usually range from $1,500 to $3,000, not including installation
or primer. A steel door in the mid-range is typically steel facing with
a sandwiched insulation and fiberglass inner face. These doors come with
a variety of available options, including color. Steel doors always come
primed and with a baked-on finish suitable for painting. Prices for mid-range
steel doors run from around $400 to $1,200 or so. Again, installation
is extra, but includes new tracks and rollers plus a check on your garage-door
opening system and a resetting of that system. |