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Tips for choosing a garage door Usually, there are only two occasions when we buy a garage door in our lifetime-- when we build a new house or when we renovate. So when the time comes to shop for a new garage door, there are key elements you should consider and analyze to make the right choice. According to Kareen Roy, marketing coordinator at Garaga Inc, one of Canada's leading garage door manufacturers, you should look for reliability, durability, style and appropriate insulation when choosing your garage door. Here are the key items Roy recommends you should consider: 1. Insulation and RValue An insulated door will keep the garage area and the rooms above and beside the garage warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, resulting in energy savings. If you use the garage for a work shop or recreation area, having an insulated door will keep temperature more consistent. The higher the R-Value the better the insulation, for example R16 is better than R-8 by 50 per cent. 2. Insulation Type The two types of insulation are polyurethane and polystyrene. Polyurethane provides twice the insulation value of polystyrene (white styrofoam). 3. Placement of Insulation Insulation can be injected under pressure (polyurethane) or placed between the metal skins in the form of a sheet (polystyrene). Pressure injecting fills the complete cavity of the door and adheres to the metal skins. This adhesion greatly reduces the chance of the skin separating from the insulation causing the door to sound tinny. 4. Metal Thickness (Gauge) The lower the gauge the thicker the material, for example 14 gauge is thicker than 18 gauge. The thicker the material the stronger the door, a thicker gauged metal skin combined with a pressureinjected insulation provides the best impact resistance. 5. Hardware This is the track, hinges and re-enforcement plates. The hardware is the back bone of the door system as it carries the weight of the door, provides the connection between the panels (hinges) and provides the anchor point for the fasteners which hold the hinges to the panels. Having a thicker gauged hardware system will ensure the door system will last longer. 6. Thermal break A thermal break in the door system means that the front metal skin does not contact the back metal skin along the length and at the ends of the door panels. Without the thermal break, both heat and cool will be allowed to move from the outside of the door to inside the garage reducing the insulation value of the door. 7. Rollers Rollers which ride in the track and carry the weight of the door come in 3 styles: nylon, nylon with ball bearings and metal with ball bearings. Nylon rollers with ball bearings will last longer than nylon rollers without ball bearings and are quieter than the metal rollers with ball bearings. 8. Weather Seal The weather seal on the outside top and sides of the garage door as well as the weather seal on the bottom of the door is what prevent wind, rain and snow from entering the garage. The type of weather seal used should not be overlooked. A good weather seal is made up of two parts, the seal gasket and the holder. The seal gasket should be made of rubber and not vinyl so if will not split or crack. More information on how to select garage doors is available at: www.garaga.com. --News Canada