The Importance of Insulating Your Garage Door

A properly insulated garage door prevents warm air from escaping your garage during the cooler months and hot air from entering during the warmer months. The increased insulation helps decrease your energy usage and provides many other benefits for your garage, home and wallet. Since your garage door is the largest opening to your home, it must have sufficient insulation, or you’ll experience drafts, extreme temperatures and energy loss. 

You have a few options available if you’re looking to insulate your garage door. You can choose to go the DIY route with an insulation kit, contact a professional garage service to upgrade your current door or replace your old door with an energy-efficient replacement. If you opt to get a brand-new door, you can compare many options to add insulation and style to your home. Modern garage doors add significant curb appeal and value to your home. 

Older or poorly insulated garage doors can lead to various problems in the home. For example, water can build up in your garage after a rainstorm or high-humidity days. The water trapped inside your garage struggles to evaporate, and it can cause mold to develop throughout your home and your possessions. A buildup of water in your garage can also lead to condensation forming in your vehicles’ crevices and electrical circuits, leading to faster deterioration over time.

Are insulated garage doors worth it? Keep reading to learn more.

6 Benefits of Insulating Your Garage Doors

Why insulate your garage door? Doing so brings many advantages and allows you to recoup your initial investment through increased energy savings and protecting your home and belongings. Here are six of the most significant reasons to insulate your garage door. 

1. Increase Energy Efficiency 

Is your garage cold in the winter and hot in the summer? Even if you have insulated your garage’s walls, your garage door may be causing a significant energy drain. An insulated garage door will help seal your garage off from the outside temperatures that sneak into your home through your garage. You should notice a decrease in your heating and cooling costs when you insulate your garage doors. Hot or cold air can enter the rest of your home when your garage is at a higher or lower temperature, which results in your A/C and heating units having to overcompensate and operate more often. 

Insulating your garage door will help keep your garage at a moderate and comfortable temperature — not too hot and not too cold. Another benefit is that you can work in your garage year-round, due to the more comfortable temperature.

2. Notice Quieter Operation

Older and uninsulated garage doors can make loud noises when you operate them, while insulated garage doors are much quieter. You can resolve the abrasive creaking and rattling by insulating or replacing your garage door. For many uninsulated garage doors, the sounds you’re hearing may be from the panels on the door vibrating and creating noise. Panel vibration can be worse for more lightweight garage doors. Solve this problem by insulating your current door or replacing it with a new, high-quality one. The insulation prevents the tiles from rattling and will cut down on the noises you hear when operating the door.

3. Boost Door Strength and Durability 

Is insulating a garage worth it? Insulated garage doors consist of more durable materials than uninsulated ones, making them suitable for long-term investment in your home. Insulated doors should require less frequent maintenance and repairs. The materials’ strength also makes the doors more resistant to damage like dents or warping. The constant opening and closing of garage doors can wear them down over time, but an insulated garage door will long outlast an uninsulated one. Many insulated garage doors have a steel or aluminum frame with solid insulation on the interior, making them sturdy, lightweight and durable enough to withstand the elements.

4. Protect Your Car and Belongings 

Installing an insulated garage door is vital if you want to protect your car and other belongings you keep in your garage. Extreme heat, cold and humidity can damage your possessions, leading to costly repair bills or permanent damage. Your garage will stay at a relatively consistent temperature throughout the year if you have an insulated garage door. Keeping your car in a controlled environment will help prevent wear and tear from temperature fluctuations. 

Insulated garage doors are also helpful in keeping water from coming into your garage. Water struggles to evaporate once it enters your garage because it has nowhere to go, and the lingering water increases the humidity levels. High humidity and condensation can make your tools rusty, damage your vehicles’ electrical components and cause mold to develop in your walls or on items you store in the garage. An insulated garage door will form a tight seal with the garage floor, which will prevent water from entering. 

5. Reduce Noise

Insulating a garage door helps keep external sounds out and internal ones in. The thick insulation will do wonders for noise reduction if you live in an area with nearby neighbors or a busy street. Working in your garage can be noisy, and an uninsulated garage door doesn’t do much to prevent loud noises from leaking out. You can avoid irritating neighbors with loud power tools because the insulation will keep the noise contained. 

6. Increase Curb Appeal 

You can replace your garage door with a modern, insulated door that will elevate the appearance of your garage. Your garage is one of the most visible aspects of your home, and a high-quality garage door can elevate the curb appeal. An appealing garage door will also boost your home’s value, and you’ll see a return on your investment, whether you’re planning on living in your house for years to come or are considering selling soon.

Does Insulating a Garage Door Help You Save Money? 

Installing an insulated garage door will generate immediate savings due to the increased energy efficiency of insulated vs. non-insulated garage doors. Insulating a garage door makes the most difference for your savings if you live in an area that experiences extreme temperatures and have an attached garage. Attached garages pose the most significant energy drain because your home probably shares at least one wall with the garage. 

Freezing and scorching temperatures that enter your garage through uninsulated garage doors will leak into the rest of your home through the walls and house doors, which causes your home’s internal temperature to fluctuate. Your cooling and heating systems will have to compensate to restore the correct temperature, causing higher energy usage and mechanical strain.

Ultimately, the amount of money you save on your energy bills will depend on where you live and how much heat loss occurs from your garage door. Living in an extremely hot or cold climate makes insulated garage doors worth it.

Types of Insulated and Energy-Efficient Garage Doors 

The type of insulated garage door you choose depends mainly on your climate, aesthetics and how much you’re looking to spend. If the garage door has the necessary amount of insulation for your environment, any insulated door should suit your needs. Most insulated garage doors are multilayered and have a thick layer of insulation within the frame. Here are the most common types of insulated and energy-efficient garage doors. 

• Steel insulated garage doors: Steel insulated garage doors have an insulating layer inside the steel frame. The steel results in a very durable door that is dent-resistant, long-lasting and able to withstand the effect of the elements. Steel doors can corrode and rust in coastal climates due to the high salt content in the air, so it’s vital to treat them properly and have the paint refinished if any chips occur.
• Aluminum insulated garage doors: An aluminum garage door is a great, lightweight option that requires little maintenance. Aluminum will hold up against weather and won’t rust in coastal climates as steel doors may. Aluminum’s lightweight nature makes it particularly helpful for older adults who may struggle to lift a manual garage door.
• Fiberglass insulated garage doors: Fiberglass garage doors are another reliable and lightweight option with low maintenance requirements. The finish on most fiberglass doors looks like natural wood, so it’s an excellent option if wood fits your home’s aesthetic. 
• Wood insulated garage doors: Wooden garage doors tend to be the most expensive, but they offer a luxurious look and add value to a home. Wood requires more upkeep than other options because you need to reseal it to prevent mildew, mold and pests. However, you’ll enjoy wood doors’ durable, long-lasting nature if you follow the maintenance schedule. 

View Our Residential Garage Door Styles

Other Factors Affecting a Garage Door’s Energy Efficiency

The type of door you choose is less of a factor than garage door insulation ratings, windows and the door’s size. Let’s dig into what this means.

R-Value

An R-value is a measurement of how effective insulation is at preventing heat loss. The “R” stands for the resistance a material has against heat flow. A higher R-value means the material limits more heat than one with a lower R-value. A lower insulation R-value will result in more garage door heat loss than a higher-value one. 

Some garage door manufacturers measure the R-value in different areas than other companies, making it challenging to accurately compare the insulation value of different branded garage doors. When a manufacturer provides an R-value based on the entire door, the values will be lower than those measured from the center panel. 

Because the R-value doesn’t have a consistent measurement method, it’s not a reliable indicator of the insulation’s thermal efficiency. 

U-Value 

The U-value — sometimes referred to as U-factor — is a helpful alternative to the R-value because it measures the entire garage door’s insulation. This form of measurement is much more reliable because some parts of the door, such as the frame and seals, can’t have the same degree of insulation as the panels. Insulated garage door U-factors account for this and provide a consistent figure across all manufacturers. 

U-values range from zero to one, and lower numbers indicate better insulation than higher ones. 

Garage Door Insulation: Polystyrene vs. Polyurethane

There are two main insulation types found in garage doors.

• Polystyrene: Polystyrene is similar to Styrofoam, but it’s more condensed, so it offers superior insulation properties. Garage door manufacturers typically glue sheets of polystyrene to the garage door panels. Gluing the insulation causes some areas like the panels’ corners to have air pockets, which reduces the insulation. Polystyrene can deteriorate if exposed to chemicals such as bug spray or gasoline.
• Polyurethane: Polyurethane, another form of garage door thermal insulation, gets sprayed directly inside the garage door frame, resulting in a much more thorough application of the insulation and higher U-value. Polyurethane is very fire-retardant and won’t melt if exposed to fire. It can withstand temperatures up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit before it begins to char. It’s also resistant to all chemicals, oxidation and sun damage. 

Both materials will age well and not deteriorate over time if the door remains in good external condition, but polyurethane will hold up better when exposed to stressors. While polyurethane offers better insulation, it also costs more on average than polystyrene. 

Windows

Windows in a garage door can add visual appeal, but glass is a poor insulator. If you’re in a climate that gets very hot or cold, you should consider getting a garage door without windows. Garage doors will have energy-efficient windows, but they’re still not as insulated as a standard insulated garage door will be, and heat will transfer through the glass. 

Correct Garage Door Size

It’s vital that the garage door fits correctly and forms a tight seal against the ground and the sides of the garage to prevent wind and cold air from entering. If there are any gaps, your insulated garage door will be much less effective because the air will still have a place to escape. 

Contact AAA Garage Door for Replacement and Repair

Does an insulated garage door make a difference? After reading this post, we think you’ll agree it does. At AAA Garage Door, we’ve been in this business for over 25 years. Count on us to provide you with garage door repair, inspections, regular maintenance and even replace your current garage door with a fully insulated one to increase your energy savings and keep your home comfortable. 

We have a range of garage doors for you to choose from that look modern and provide insulation against our harsh Nebraska winters. 

Fill out our online form to schedule garage door services or request a free estimate for your garage door opener today!

Agricultural Door Buying Guide

Nebraska can have extreme temperatures throughout the year, leaving your farming property vulnerable to water, ice and sunlight damage. Hungry pests may also try to find a way into your property to snack on your produce. Your barn, grain store or livestock stable should protect your resources from these weather conditions.

A sturdy, energy-efficient door can help guard your harvest and animals against the elements by providing an additional barrier around the structure. Explore the custom options available for farm doors to find the right product for your property. This guide can help you discover the advantages of having a reliable, aesthetically pleasing door for your agricultural property and how to choose one that works for your business.

Benefits of Agricultural Doors

A sturdy, long-lasting door can enhance your structure’s aesthetic and guard it against harsh weather conditions and pests. Here are some of the ways the right door can add value to your agricultural buildings.

1. Keep Your Agricultural Building Safe

You probably built your barn or warehouse to protect your farming equipment or produce from harm. Durable steel garage or entry doors can withstand weather damage and maintain their integrity, enhancing your property’s barrier against outside influences. Any gaps in your door can leave your property vulnerable to pests and intruders. When you have a new entry free from cracks or openings, you can be confident that you’ll keep out unwanted visitors and preserve your valuable resources from unpleasant weather conditions.

2. Control the Temperature in Your Agricultural Building

Keeping your livestock or crops in a space with a controlled temperature can help them last longer, so they’re ready for your customers. Insulated doors act as a protective barrier against the outside temperature and humidity. As a result, you can create an environment in your barn or storage structure where your livestock and vegetation can thrive.

Consider enhancing your door’s insulation qualities by investing in additional layers of polyurethane or polystyrene. You can also request an entry with multiple layers of galvanized steel to make it more durable.

3. Save Money on Energy Costs

Since farming is a lucrative source of income, you most likely want to reduce expenses wherever you can to enhance your profit. Using a heating, cooling or humidification system to keep your grain, vegetables and livestock in the ideal environment can get expensive, especially if your door has gaps that leak air outside. A durable, energy-efficient door can prevent drafts and keep the indoor air inside, saving you money on energy and leaving you with more revenue to support your family.

4. Conveniently Access Your Storage Items

When you have customers and family members expecting food from your farm, you need to be able to find and collect your produce, livestock and harvesting machinery as quickly as possible. An easy-to-use agricultural door can give you access inside your storage unit without obstructing your pathway to your resources. Sliding doors travel against the wall, leaving you plenty of room to drive your tractors and other oversized farming equipment out of your agricultural building.

5. Extend Your Equipment’s Lifespan

Your pieces of farming equipment are significant investments that you need to harvest your crops and navigate your property. These steel products should last for years when you maintain them properly. However, cold, rainy weather can corrode the metal components and leave them vulnerable to power failures over time. An agricultural door on your storage unit can help protect your equipment from weather damage and corrosion. By providing a temperature-controlled environment, you can also prolong the freshness of your fruits, vegetables and grain.

6. Save Time on Taking Care of Your Property

With all the work you have to do around the land, you may not want to think about maintaining the door to your storage structure. Choose a material that doesn’t require regular treatment and that you can conveniently clean with mild soap and warm water. A durable door can withstand dents and stains from snow, rain, wind or hail. Since it also protects the inside of your barn or warehouse from damage, you can spend less time cleaning and repairing your walls after every storm.

Agricultural Building Applications

You may need to install farm building doors on the following structures.

• Aircraft hangar: If you have an aircraft on your property, you need a spacious, durable door to give you access to your storage unit. The hangar can help guard your property against direct sunlight and other weather damage, reducing its risk of corrosion or power failure. A large, sturdy garage door can seal the structure to keep your craft safe.
• Crop storage: Whether you use a silo or warehouse to store your crops, the property should protect your produce from harsh weather conditions and hungry pests. An insulated agricultural door can maintain the temperature of the place where you store your crops.
• Dairy buildings: You might have a place on your property where you keep your cows, process milk products and package your products for distribution. This storage unit needs to be comfortable for your cows and at a safe temperature that won’t spoil the milk. Insulated cattle shed doors have custom sizes that allow enough space for your livestock.
• Equestrian stables: An equestrian facility accommodates your horses and provides a place for them to eat and even train for races if you have the room. Since these structures feature steel framing, you have the durability, but you probably need some more insulation to provide an area for your horses all year long. It’s best to invest in agricultural stable doors large enough to corral your horses out of the stable without hitting their heads.
• Equipment and machine storage: The structure where you store your farming equipment and machinery should be large enough to accommodate your resources for collecting your crops and traveling around your property. Your entry or garage door should provide convenient access into and out of it. The door should also protect your equipment from weather damage, so you can continue to use it for years.
• Farm shop: You may sell produce directly on your property, and you’ll need a place for your customers to pick up and pay for crops. Farm shop doors can be large to provides plenty of ventilation on a hot summer day. If you have an office attached to your farm shop, you may want to have an easy-to-use entry door, so customers and employees can quickly come in and out.
• Grain storage: The barn gives you a place to store grain. Depending on how you use it, you’ll most likely need some protection against the weather and a way to control your structure’s humidity or dryness. Barn doors come in various sizes and materials to fit within your existing property.
• Livestock housing: If you have farm animals on your property in addition to your harvested crops, you may want to keep them in a designated area. An energy-efficient door for the housing for your livestock needs to provide ventilation while also providing insulation during the cold winter months.

Types of Doors for Agricultural Buildings

Consider the kind of agricultural doors available to you, so you can find one that works for you and your property.

1. Large Sliding Doors

Large door systems can make your storage building more functional. This configuration tends to be the most economical option for your property, especially for post-frame barn construction. Agricultural sliding doors make it easy to enter and exit a farmhouse. You can open the door wider and have more space on the floor with a sliding door system, instead of door hinges on the side or overhead tracks. Have your door slide smoothly next to the wall to save even more room as you open it.

2. Overhead Hydraulic Doors

A hydraulic opening system features cylinders, pumps and hinges that provide movement for the garage door and enhance its durability. The hinges on top of the doorframe allow the door to swing out instead of taking up space inside. This configuration provides more floor space instead of needing room to swing doors into or out of the structure. Agricultural garage doors are suitable for sturdy properties that can accommodate this product’s stress on the building.

3. Bifold Doors

Agricultural bifold doors are easy to use and take up less space than a traditional door. It pulls open from the center and provides convenient access to the inside of your property with one swift motion. It also offers better views of the outside and gives enough ventilation and natural light when the weather is pleasant outside. The best part about this configuration is that you can leave it partially open to control the area’s temperature and provide enough airflow into your space without having to open the door completely.

4. Roller Doors

Agricultural roller doors feature durable, galvanized steel, and they roll up to give you plenty of space for you to access your grain storage or farming equipment. Most roll-up garage doors are suitable for warehouses and storage facilities. You can find wind-rated agricultural roller shutters to accommodate the wind near your property. They come in various colors that can complement your farm building. 

5. Personal Entry Doors

Agricultural storm doors allow you access into and out of your commercial property. Consider getting yours insulated to protect against weather temperatures all year long. Deluxe steel doors are exceptional for providing durability, so you can guard all the contents within your barn or agricultural structure. Paint or prime them any color you want to match the rest of your property. 

Customized Solutions for Your Agricultural Doors

Consider what type of door you need for your equipment, crops or livestock. If you need a large garage to accommodate your oversized agricultural equipment, you may look for custom sizes to get the exact product you need. Discuss your door distributor options to retrofit a product to your existing structure or fit in a new building. If you need more space to accommodate new equipment, you may want to make changes to the current property to fit your new oversized door.

Besides the type of agricultural door you choose, you can also customize it according to your unique design preference. Discuss your options with your door manufacturer to learn what custom choices are available for your configuration. Consider these factors for your farm doors.

• Custom size: Whether you need an entry door for you or an overhead door for maneuvering your tractor, you can request a custom-sized door. When designing your door, try to make it as large as possible to accommodate all the equipment you have now and in the future. We can retrofit your door to fit within your existing structure, but if you need a larger one, we’ll adjust the doorframe to fit your new product.
• Exterior color: Depending on the material you choose for your agricultural door, you can typically paint or stain it any color you want. If you like the color of natural wood, you could apply a wood finish to the door. The exterior color of your entry or overhead door should complement the rest of the property somehow. Also, remember that lighter colors reflect heat, while darker ones absorb it.
• Windows: If you’d like to let more natural light into your property, consider adding windows to your door. You could make them any size or shape, depending on your desired appearance. You may also want to add decorative grilles to the windows to provide a unique appearance. You can also remove these embellishments when you need to clean the windows.
• Material: Choose a garage or entry door material that can withstand your area’s weather conditions. You should pick a material that complements the rest of your design. A rustic wooden door may be the perfect fit for a traditional barn, but perhaps not for your aircraft hangar.
• Decorative elements: Besides window grilles and unique paint color, you can adorn your door with custom features. Consider the hardware you’d like to put on your door, like metal handles or hinges. These decorative features may enhance your barn aesthetic.
• Insulation: To protect your property from harsh weather conditions, you need the proper insulation for your entry or garage door. Keep in mind that adding polyurethane or polystyrene insulation to your door makes it heavier, so you’ll need to check the weight capacity of your pole barn or stick-built construction. Unless you’re housing temperature-sensitive equipment or goods, you might not even need insulation on your door.

Contact AAA Garage Door for Agricultural Doors

If you need a new door for your farming property in Omaha, Neb., browse through our inventory of farm doors for agricultural buildings. We offer plenty of entryways for your property, such as commercial roll-up garage doors, entry doors and operating systems. We provide GSD operators for sliding doors and standard garage door openers for overhead ones. Contact us online or call 402-727-0789 to request an estimate. You can also come to visit our showroom if you’re in the local area.

Roll-Up Garage Door Guide

Choosing a garage door for a commercial space is about more than just good looks. If you’re in the market for a commercial garage door, then your primary concern is most likely function. After all, a commercial garage door has to stand up to constant use, and it needs to protect the people and goods inside of your business.

You could go with a traditional sectional door, such as the ones you’d find on a home, but there’s a better option for your business.

Sectional garage doors just aren’t designed to withstand constant open/close cycles and their bulky overhead requirements can get in the way of forklifts and other large commercial equipment. A commercial-grade roll-up door is a great alternative to a sectional door because it addresses both of those concerns. Besides being built to stand up to constant motion, rolling commercial doors also store themselves discretely above the doorway, leaving your ceiling clearance open for large machinery.

As you’re embarking on your search for the right garage door, consider the roll-up door.

What Are Roll-Up Garage Doors?

A roll-up garage door — also known as a rolling steel garage door — is a door made of flexible, horizontal sheets of steel or, in some cases, aluminum. When the door is down, it covers the garage opening just as a traditional sectioned door would. When it needs to be raised, the sheets of metal roll up into one compact tube and remain stored there until it’s time for the door to go back down. Rolling garage doors are most commonly used for commercial and industrial applications, such as doors at storage facilities, warehouses or loading docks.

What’s the Difference Between a Commercial and a Residential Roll-Up Door?

There are several differences between commercial roll-up garage doors and a roll-up garage door for homes. But if it’s the first time you’ve had to purchase a commercial garage door, you might not be familiar with what they are.

1. Dimensions

Residential garage doors are typically constructed at certain standard heights. Although there are cases where door sizes are customized, residential garages — whether single- or double-doors — are typically the same from home to home. There’s not much size variation in the market because there doesn’t need to be.

When you’re purchasing an overhead roll-up door for commercial applications, the height and width requirements may vary greatly depending on what you’ll be using it for. For example, in a warehouse or other industrial setting, the door may need to be oversized to accommodate loading equipment coming in and out of the space. If the roll-up door is being used at a loading dock or trucking depot, it will need to be big enough to cover an opening sized to fit a semi.

2. Appearance

When you’re choosing a residential garage door, there’s a lot to consider — windows, colors and additional design elements. After all, a residential garage door plays a big role in the overall curb appeal of a home.

In a commercial setting, the primary focus is on purchasing a strong, high-quality door that’s going to get the job done. Although you want a door that complements the existing exterior of your business, appearance isn’t as important. You don’t need to spend time considering decorative features, and you don’t need a door with windows. Roll-up doors can be painted to coordinate with your business’ exterior, but the paint color just isn’t as important as purchasing a high-quality door that’s going to stay secure.

3. Opening Capacity

A residential roll-up garage door is designed to be opened and closed a handful of times each day. This is one reason why it moves slowly up and down the track when you operate it. Moving slowly reduces the risk of damage and preserves the life of the door and its opener.

On the other hand, a commercial roll-up door is built to withstand heavy use. It will need to go up and down several times throughout the day, so it needs to stand up to that process. In addition to durable construction, it also goes up and down faster so you don’t waste your day opening and closing the door.

4. Materials

Residential garage doors are available in several materials, including wood, steel, vinyl and aluminum. This variety affords homeowners the option to customize their door to the look of their home, as well as their budget and the climate where they reside.

Commercial roll-up doors serve one purpose — to protect what’s inside of your building until it’s time to move it outside. To offer maximum protection, all commercial roll-up doors are constructed with either steel or aluminum. These highly durable materials get the job done and last a long time. They stand up to the elements without requiring regular painting or maintenance to keep them looking nice and operating efficiently.

View Our Commercial Garage Door Styles

Benefits to Rolling Doors

If you’re looking for a new commercial garage door, you’ve likely found several types of doors on the market. What makes a roll-up door the right choice for your business?

1. Durability

How many times a day do you open and close your existing doors? If it’s more than two, you need a door that’s built from high-quality, durable materials that can handle the wear and tear of regular open/close cycles. A roll-up door is designed to go up and down quickly over and over again, and, because it’s made of steel, repeated open/close cycles won’t cause unnecessary wear and tear.

2. Workplace Safety

Garage doors can present a significant risk in a commercial or industrial environment. If the spring on a traditional horizontal door snaps, it can send the door crashing down on top of whatever — or whoever — is underneath. In buildings where vertical clearance is an issue, a traditional horizontal track can reduce the space large machinery has to operate safely. In other words, sectional garage doors can pose significant safety issues in the workplace, putting your employees at risk as they go about their daily tasks.

Roll-up doors don’t have heavy springs holding them up. When they’re up, the door is contained into one roll. There’s nothing to snap and nothing to fall on unsuspecting employees below. There’s also no track along the ceiling, so equipment isn’t at risk of running into it or getting caught if it gets too close. A roll-up door is a great way to create an environment built around safety and employee wellbeing.

3. Security

When you invest in a roll-up door, you’re also investing in peace of mind. Your product is your livelihood and theft can cut into your profits. Roll-up doors are made from high-quality steel or aluminum. They are easy for employees to operate throughout the day, but they provide a solid barrier against unwanted intruders who might try to break in and steal from your business. Roll-up fire doors can also be used to create a protective barrier against fire should one break out in your building.

Another benefit to roll-up doors is that they protect your commercial space from the dangers of extreme heat or cold. Many items need to be kept at a consistent temperature to maintain their quality. A roll-up door can keep outdoor air from making your interior space too hot or too cold and maintain the integrity of your products while they wait to be shipped to their final destination.

4. Low Maintenance

Roll-up doors don’t need a lot of maintenance to keep them in good shape. Steel doors won’t rot, crack or become warped over time. Just clean them regularly, and they’ll be serving your business for many years to come. Besides saving you money, this also frees up your employees to spend their time on other more important tasks.

How Do Roll-Up Garage Doors Open?

If you’ve ever used a storage facility, you may have encountered a roll-up door that was operated by pulling down on a chain. As you pull down, the door rolls up and remains folded into the roll at the ceiling level until you pull on the other side of the chain to bring it back down. Roll-up doors are composed of strips of steel hemmed together to create a sheet of metal in the dimensions of a garage door opening. When the door is down, it creates a solid barrier between the interior of your commercial space and the outdoors. When it’s up, it creates a tight roll that remains out of the way of anyone coming in and out of the doorway.

Roll-up doors for commercial and industrial applications can be operated with automatic openers. What’s the best garage door opener for a roll-up garage door?

1. Electric Door Operator

Similar to a residential garage door opener, this electric opener uses a low-voltage motor for quiet, efficient operation.

2. Jackshaft Operator

Also known as a wall-mounted opener because it’s mounted on the wall next to the garage opening, a jackshaft operator provides quiet, efficient opening and closing capabilities for roll-up doors of all sizes. These openers are great to install in spaces where overhead space is restricted.

How Much Does a Roll-Up Garage Door Cost?

Roll-up garage door prices vary depending on the size of your garage opening, as well as whether you choose steel or aluminum. As you research garage door options, you’ll notice that roll-up doors do have a higher up-front cost than other types of doors. However, over their lifespan, their durability and low maintenance properties mean you’ll actually end up spending less. Why? When you spend the money to buy a high-quality steel roll-up door, you’re buying a door that will hold up to everything you throw at it. Constant open/close cycles won’t wear out its parts, and it won’t require a lot of maintenance to keep doing its job. It will also last a really long time, so you won’t need to replace it very often.

As you’re budgeting for a new door, be sure to factor in the cost of the door itself, a new garage door opener — if you need one — and other additional parts and labor. Requesting an estimate from a reputable roll-up garage door dealer will help you know what to budget so that there aren’t any surprises when it comes time to purchase and have a new door installed.

Different Types of Roll-Up Garage Doors

At AAA Garage Door, we are proud to sell Clopay’s commercial roll-up sheet doors in a variety of colors and three gauges — light duty, medium duty and heavy duty. A high-performance hardware upgrade is also available for doors that need to withstand a lot. Each of these doors is painted inside and outside to prevent rust — and you can select from a wide variety of colors to complement the exterior of your property. They also come with weatherstripping and a heavy-duty bottom bar to keep severe weather where it belongs — outside.

View Our Commercial Garage Door Styles

Roll-Up Garage Door Safety

The best way to protect your employees and your investment is to keep roll-up garage doors clean and incorporate regular inspections into the workplace routine. Identifying a small problem early is the best way to prevent a big problem — and a big repair bill — later on.

Although these doors are low-maintenance, it’s still important to make sure they’re always clean and in good working order. If you suspect a problem, don’t put off a maintenance call. Postponing maintenance or repairs could result in costly damage or injury to one of your employees. It may be tempting to ask your employees to figure out how to repair the door, but this can be dangerous if they don’t have experience working on garage doors, especially if there is a chance the door could fall. If you suspect a problem, contact a reputable repair company to identify and repair it.

Commercial Roll-Up Garage Doors

You’re dedicated to your business. Choose fixtures and features that demonstrate your long-term commitment to success. A commercial roll-up garage door provides a safe, effective way to protect your business — and what’s inside of it. When you purchase a rolling garage door, you show that you want to protect your investment and that you care about the comfort and safety of your employees.

If you’re looking to purchase a new roll-up garage door for your business, call AAA Garage Door, Inc. With more than 25 years of experience selling and repairing garage doors throughout the midwest, we’re eastern Nebraska’s go-to source for high-quality commercial and residential Clopay garage doors styles and openers. Our goal is to ensure complete customer satisfaction each and every time. And we’re proud to offer lifetime warranties on certain products, as well as personalized assistance choosing the right garage door for your needs.

If you’re ready to improve safety and security with a new roll-up garage door, schedule a free estimate today.

Contact Us To Talk To An Expert!

Last Reviewed By Felipe Pinales on December 31st, 2020

Double Garage Door Conversion Options

Double Garage Door Conversion Options

Jump To: Single to Double Conversion | Double to Single Conversion

Do you have a double garage door that you’d like to convert to two single garage doors? Or maybe you have two single garage doors you’d like to remodel into one double door. We have both conversions outlined no matter what garage door type you’re looking for. Our professional service technicians at AAA Garage Door have experience converting two garage doors into one and can remove or add a central garage pillar to make space for your new door. Below we share some insights from our conversion experience:

Single to Double Garage Door Conversion

Converting two single garage doors into one double-sized garage door can be an investment for many families and businesses, but it is well worth it. Many double-sized garages are fitted with two separate doors, independent of each other, so that just one can be opened at a time.

Two single doors are typical of more traditional builds, as they were introduced when cars were smaller and could squeeze between the gap. Today, modern cars tend to be larger, and many people are now looking to convert their two single garage doors into one double garage door.

When considering converting two single garage doors into a double, it is essential to know the advantages so that you can make the best decision based on your lifestyle and budget.

How to Convert Two Single Garage Doors to a Double Door

The process of converting two single garage doors into one double door consists of the following steps:

1. Take measurements of the garage.
2. Select a replacement double garage door.
3. Perform garage pillar removal and discard the two single garage doors.
4. Install a new double door.
5. Add the final touches.

Benefits of Double Garage Doors

There are many benefits to having a double garage door, including:

• Allows for wider vehicles to enter: The space created by converting two single garage doors into a larger double door is great for parking sizable vehicles. One larger double door can also be a way of providing the drivers at your home or business with peace of mind. Drivers will have more wiggle room when backing into or pulling up to the garage and easily avoid scratches and dents.
• Provides additional walking space: Converting two single garage doors into one double door provides more walk-around room. Those exiting or entering the garage can more comfortably walk around stored items or vehicles.
• Updates the appearance: One double garage door can make the entire front of your home appear larger and help tie together its overall appearance. Whether you’re looking to sell your home or not, a newly installed double garage door increases your home’s value.
• Easier to maintain than two doors and two openers: Maintaining one double garage door is easier and more convenient than keeping up with two.
• Provides improved accessibility: For wheelchair users or the elderly, having the extra space is crucial for getting into and out of the car with ease.
• Streamlined operation: With one double garage door, you can operate the entire system with a single remote. This streamlines the exit and entry process and removes the clutter of multiple door remotes.

Double to Single Garage Door Conversion

If the thought of a double to single garage door conversion is intriguing to you, we recommend that your garage be at least 22 feet wide. This will give you ample space to get into and out of your vehicle comfortably. A double to single garage door conversion will grant you total control over how much of your garage’s interior is exposed to the outside.

How to Convert a Double Garage Door to Two Single Doors

Converting one double door to two single doors includes a sequence of steps similar to a single to double garage door conversion:

1. Take measurements of your garage.
2. Choose two replacement single garage doors.
3. Add a garage pillar to divide both sections.
4. Install two new single garage doors.
5. Add the final touches.

Benefits of Single Garage Doors

The advantages of converting one double garage door to two include:

• Reduce your heating bill and air conditioning costs: If you live in a cold climate, two single garage doors can lessen the amount of cold air that flows into the garage, reducing your heating bill. Two separate doors can also inhibit the humidity that enters your garage, significantly lowering your air conditioning costs.
• Have a backup plan in the case of a malfunction: If you opt for two single doors, you’ll be able to get one of your cars out of the garage in the case of a breakdown, such as torsion spring failure.
• Enhance the appearance of your home: While some homeowners prefer the streamlined appearance of one double garage door, others believe that two single garage doors better enhance the overall architectural design of their home.

Trust AAA Garage Door for Your Garage Door Conversion Needs

If you own a home or business in the Omaha, Nebraska area or its surrounding communities and you need to convert your double or single garage door, reach out to the trained technicians from AAA Garage Door. We specialize in garage door conversions for any door type.

As a locally-owned company with over 25 years of experience, we care about improving people’s businesses and homes. We’ve repaired all types of commercial and residential garage doors throughout the years and will help you find a garage door you love within your budget. Our team of highly skilled technicians makes high-quality products and superior service our priorities.

Get in touch with our garage door experts to find out more about how we can help with your double garage door conversion project.

Last Reviewed By Felipe Pinales on December 23rd, 2020

Carriage House Garage Door Guide

If you want to remodel your Colonial or mid-century modern house, consider upgrading you garage door to a carriage house design. A carriage-style garage door will increase the value of your home and provide a historic charm to your property. At AAA Garage Door in Omaha, Neb., we offer a variety of materials, colors, window designs and hardware for the exterior look of your overhead door. Use this buying guide to explore our carriage house garage doors for sale.

Carriage House Garage Door Buying Guide in the Nebraska Market

The garage makes up a significant portion of the exterior design of your house, and you want it to reflect your creative personality. Most homeowners only replace their garage door once in a lifetime, so you should put careful consideration into how you want to decorate this element of your home. Replacing your garage door with a carriage-house style offers the following benefits:

• It increases your home’s value and curb appeal.
• It keeps your home safe from intruders.
• It makes your home more energy-efficient.
• It reduces the noise from your operating system and outside activity.
• It reduces the number of garage door repairs you’ll need each year.
• It prevents accidental injury to your family or property.

If you’re considering a residential carriage house garage door for your home, AAA Garage Door is a full-service company that provides quality residential Clopay® doors and LiftMaster openers. After you choose a garage door to complement the style of your home, we’ll discuss the next steps of the installation process, including scheduling annual inspections and repairing worn-out parts over the years.

What Are Carriage House Garage Doors?

Carriage house collection garage doors reflect the design of a traditional barn or stable door, giving your home’s exterior a mid-century modern appearance. While carriage-style doors complement rustic homes, they also provide a pleasant contrast to contemporary ones. This carriage house style door will boost your home’s curb appeal with a versatile design and enhance its energy efficiency with its layers of insulation.

Even though original carriage house doors were wooden, we offer other low-maintenance options for your garage door, including steel and wood composite, besides natural wood. You could also design your garage door to look like an old-fashioned carriage door with elegant window treatments and decorative hardware.

View Our Garage Door Styles

How Do Carriage House Garage Doors Open?

The original design of carriage house doors featured intricately carved wooden panels and wrought-iron hardware. Metal hinges on the ends of the entryway gave it the ability to swing out and make space for horse-drawn carriages. Modern carriage house garage doors still have the same design, but with a more updated operating system to accommodate automated vehicles.

How Much Does a Carriage House Garage Door Cost?

If you’re trying to plan a full remodel of the exterior of your house, you should think about the garage door cost. The price to install and design your carriage house door depends on several factors, but you could customize this entryway to fit within your budget.

Consider these factors that affect the price of your door to help you decide what you should personalize.

• Materials: Steel is the most affordable material, followed by wood composite and natural wood. If you choose natural wood, keep in mind that you also need to paint and reseal your wooden panels every couple of years to increase its resistance to moisture.
• Insulation: An energy-efficient door will reduce your monthly energy bill and provide a more comfortable temperature for your home. While an insulated garage door with a high R-value will cost more money up front, you’ll save money on your utility bill.
• Location: Where you live affects the cost of your installation project due to the availability of the materials and the fees local contractors charge. If you choose a bulkier door, you should also be aware that they tend to be more expensive to install because the installer might need to hire a team to help carry the door.

What Are Barn-Style Garage Doors?

You might also hear people call carriage house garage doors barn-style garage doors because they look like stable or barn doors. Until the 20th century, people used horse-drawn carriages as a means of transportation, and they would store their wagons in carriage houses. These barn doors initially consisted of natural wood, and they would swing out to allow the driver to park their vehicle.

Even if you drive an automatic car, you could still have the traditional elegance of a barn door-style garage door to protect the place where you park your vehicle. The country-style residential garage door features faux wood overlay design options, as well as various window patterns for your selection. You may choose a natural wood door to stay true to the original design, or you could create a steel door with an Ultra-Grain® wood finish for less maintenance. 

Different Types of Carriage House Garage Doors

Our collection of Clopay® carriage house-style garage doors will enhance the appearance of your house in Omaha. After choosing an energy-efficient material to complement the exterior design of your property, you could personalize the following features of your garage door based on what the design brochure includes for each collection.

• Insulation: If you have a steel collection garage door, you could choose one-, two- or three-layer construction of galvanized steel for more insulation. Wood naturally has a high R-value, but you could add more insulation to your garage door for better noise reduction and temperature regulation. The insulation options for most collections are 1-3/8″ or 2″ Intellicore® polyurethane, 1-3/8″ or 2″ polystyrene or 1-5/16″ vinyl-backed polystyrene. Combined with any of these insulation materials, your energy-efficient door could have an R-value between 5.9 to 20.4.
• Colors: Our inventory of carriage house doors provides a total of 12 factory finishes for your selection, including several Ultra-Grain® wood finishes to give your modern steel or faux wood garage door the appearance of natural wood.
• Overlay pattern: If the door you choose for your garage features wood composite overlay and cladding, you could customize the design of these faux wood panels. Most overlays come in a criss-cross pattern, but you may also choose to create vertical or horizontal lines instead.
• Hardware: The decorative hardware of your carriage house garage door gives it the appearance of a swing-out door. Select from a variety of metal hinges, lift handles and step plates to enhance your home’s historic look.

1. Steel Carriage House Garage Doors

The steel carriage house garage doors in our inventory feature durable, insulated steel panels with wood composite overlays, providing your home with a unique and sophisticated design. With steel and a fresh coat of Ultra-Grain® finish, your door could have the appearance of natural wood, but with less maintenance and higher durability.

We provide a variety of collections with elegant charm to complement the historic appeal of your property.

• GALLERY® Collection: The vintage look and feel of the products in the GALLERY® Collection make these traditional raised steel panel doors stand out from the rest. You can customize your grooved-panel steel garage door from this collection with the right thickness of insulation for your climate. The color you choose should complement the theme of the rest of your house. Complete the look of your carriage house door with wrought-iron decorative hardware.
• COACHMAN® Collection: The COACHMAN® Collection has a reputation for its ideal mix of practicality and beauty. If you choose a carriage house garage door from this series, you’ll have a product that looks like wood but contains low-maintenance, long-lasting steel and insulation. A wood-grain textured composite overlay completes the design of the door, which you could also personalize according to your taste.
• GRAND HARBOR® Collection: The doors from the GRAND HARBOR® Collection are a cost-effective, low-maintenance option for a coastal, yet historic, aesthetic for your home, especially in new construction. Our manufacturers apply a protective coating over the thick layer of steel to maintain the appearance and durability of the door.
• CANYON RIDGE® Collection LIMITED EDITION Series: The LIMITED EDITION Series of this beautiful collection features energy-efficient carriage house doors with a steel base and Intellicore® insulation. The wood composite cladding and overlays contain natural wood fibers to give the material the appearance of various species of wood.

2. Wood Carriage House Garage Doors

A natural wood carriage house garage door would complement the appearance of any Craftsman or Colonial house. The RESERVE® WOOD Collection LIMITED EDITION Series showcases products with authentic carriage house designs paired with historical charm and character, with the convenience of an overhead operation. You can choose from eight designs and multiple wood species to fit the style of your home.

3. Faux Carriage House Garage Doors

Faux wood, or wood composite, gives your door a luxurious appearance but with less maintenance. In the CANYON RIDGE® Collection ULTRA-GRAIN® Series, you have an economical alternative to the Limited Edition Series, featuring the durability of steel paired with the natural beauty of stained wood. With its two-inch-thick Intellicore® insulation, a door from this series has an R-value of 18.4.

4. Custom Carriage House Garage Doors

If you can’t find the ideal garage door for your home’s design theme, you could create a one-of-a-kind wood garage door from the RESERVE® WOOD Collection CUSTOM Series. If you can dream it, we can design it, no matter the color or the size. Our Door Imagination System can help you brainstorm which color, material, panel and window patterns would go perfectly with your living space. You could upload a picture of your house to envision how your custom garage door would look on your property.

Carriage House Garage Door Windows

Complete your carriage house garage door with a unique window design. Browse through the brochure of each of the collections we offer to find out the specific windows available for your desired product. In general, you could personalize any of the following features.

• Window size: Whether you have a one-car or two-car garage, you could choose a long or short windowpane pattern across your door. We recommend square windows for carriage style doors.
• Window shape: Carriage house-style garage doors with windows often have rectangular or arch shapes on the top.
• Window type: Some of our collections offer unique window types, aside from the rectangular or arch shape, such as the Kristin, the Trenton, the Clayton and the Wrought Iron. You could review the design brochures of these collections to discover how they would look against your house.
• Single and double-top section: You could choose one or two rows of small windows for the top part of your garage door. The upper row features a traditional arched design.
• Grille pattern: The decorative grilles are available in rectangular, square, vertical, horizontal or vertical and horizontal. You can easily remove them when you need to clean them.
• Glass option: You could choose faux or real glass for your windows. The glass design options include clear, frosted, seeded, obscure, rain, frosted gluechip, delta frost and narrow reed.

What’s the Best Garage Door Opener for a Carriage House Garage Door?

You need a robust carriage house garage door opener from the LiftMaster Elite Series with the horsepower to operate your sturdy garage door. Several of our openers from this series are compatible with the MyQ® app to allow you to control your door from anywhere you have internet access, even if there is a power outage.

The garage door openers from the LiftMaster Elite Series include the following.

• LiftMaster Elite Series 8550WLB: This belt drive garage door opener has Wi-Fi capability and includes a DC battery backup. The DC motor allows quiet and smooth operation, especially for lifting wood grain texture doors and composite wood doors. You would install this opener on your ceiling.
• LiftMaster Elite Series 8587W: This AC chain drive garage door opener can also connect to the internet and mounts on the ceiling. It has 3/4 horsepower and an I-beam rail system that provide it with the strength to lift a heavy door, especially a door with a wood overlay design. Even though it’s tough, it’s also nearly silent.
• LiftMaster Elite Series 8500: This wall mount garage door opener saves you ceiling space by sticking to the wall next to the garage door opening. The DC battery backup allows the garage door to work, even during a power outage.
• LiftMaster Elite Series 8500W: This wall mount opener in the Elite Series is a step above the 8500, with Wi-Fi capability to operate your garage door from anywhere in the world. Its DC battery backup gives it the ability to continue holding up your garage door during the power outage. It reduces the noise and vibration to provide smooth operation.

Carriage House Garage Door Company in Omaha

At AAA Garage Door, we will provide the perfect Clopay® residential garage door for your property in Omaha, Neb. Our quiet, energy-efficient LiftMaster garage door openers will also improve the quality of your home. Browse through our inventory on our website, and contact us online or call us at 402-727-0789 to request an estimate.

Last Reviewed By Felipe Pinales on December 23rd, 2020

Tips for Choosing the Right Garage Door to Match the Style of Your Home

When it is time to consider garage door replacement for your Omaha or Fremont home, there is much more to think about than just finding the right size and shape to fit the opening. The overhead door must fit seamlessly and have the functional features you need. Also, other important considerations such as style, color, the various types available, and different materials options ultimately affect both performance and curb appeal.

Selecting A Garage Door For Your Home Is An Important Design Choice

Have you ever picked out a paint color only to find out later than it didn’t look the way you’d intended when selecting the swatch? It’s happened to most of us. We believe that choosing a new overhead garage door is one of those things you want to ensure it “fits” the overall scheme and personality of your home. We think of a new overhead garage door, much like selecting the paint or interior decorative features, should “match” not just color, but also the architectural design, aesthetic feel, and your unique character and qualities.

Checkout Clopay’s Lookbook

With Help From AAA Garage Door, Inc. And Clopay, Selecting Your Perfect Door Is Simple

With the variety of styles and options available from Clopay, homeowners never have to hope the new door they select will be perfect. We can help identify which type most closely matches your home’s design from swing-out garage doors, swing-up door, sliding doors, and roll-up overhead door options. The Clopay Door Imagination System allows homeowners to upload photos of their own home and see which style provides precisely the look they want, all with just a few simple clicks.

We’ll also help you consider the materials that would be most appropriate for your home and the day-to-day use of your garage door. In our area, Clopay doors are ideal options in more than 1,000 different garage door designs in wood, steel, composite, aluminum and glass and AAA Garage Door, Inc. will help guide you to the perfect choice for your home.

Don’t Forget The Safety Features When Selecting Your New Garage Door System

Of course, the look and overall aesthetic are critical when choosing your new overhead door, but never overlook the importance of built-in safety features such as pinch resistance to protect fingers when the door opens and closes, tamper-resistant brackets to keep intruders out and safety features that reduce the chance of hard-working mechanisms breaking under pressure. A new garage door should also have energy-efficient features built right in, but make your investment not just attractive and safe, but also cost-effective.

View Our Residential Garage Door Styles

Make One Call For The Right Garage Door For Your Home

Choosing the right type of door for your personality and needs, as well as thinking about the garage door material should be a part of the process when buying a new residential overhead door. Call AAA Garage Door, Inc. at (402) 727-0789 and our technicians will happily review all the options available. You can also fill out a contact form and we’ll be in touch with you shortly!

Last Reviewed By Felipe Pinales on August 28th, 2020