February 24, 2017

Your Garage Door’s Surprising Strength

Door Working

If you take the time to consider how strong your garage door is, you may be surprised at what you find. We took a look at some of the most common performance challenges that garage doors are subject to, tests that most homeowners don’t even realize exist. After you learn about these evaluations, you may find your opinion on quality garage doors changed. Read on to learn more about what your garage door has to withstand year after year, and why it’s so important to choose a quality garage door.

Your garage door is tested every day

You may not even realize how much strain is put on your garage door every day, just through day‑to‑day life activities and regular use. For example:

  • Your garage door may be hit by soccer balls, tennis balls and basketballs regularly if you or your children are athletic, or if you have a dog that plays fetch in the garage.
  • Your garage door works to keep cold air out in the winter, and hot air out in the summer.
  • Your garage door must withstand any attempts to break into your home by would‑be thieves.
  • If it rains, snows, sleets, or if a tornado or hurricane comes through, your garage door must withstand it all.

And that doesn’t include regular use!

Your garage door also must be incredibly strong to perform its intended function.

  • On average, a garage door is deigned to perform over 25,000 operations (or open/close cycles) in its lifetime. To achieve the same amount of work, a human would have to climb up and down the 29,000 feet (8,850 meters) of Mount Everest five times!
  • Did you know that the solar energy that beats down on your garage door every day is enough to cook a turkey? And your garage door doesn’t even have any sunscreen! In fact, if you account for an entire 25‑year lifespan of a garage door, the amount of solar energy absorbed by the door would be the energy equivalent of 55 barrels of gasoline.
  • If you live in an area with high winds, your garage door could regularly face significant strain. For example, did you know that 90 mph (145 km/h) winds put the same amount of weight on a 12′ X 8′ door as that of a car.
  • When the temperature drops in the winter, the temperature difference between the garage interior, which is usually around 50 ℉ / 10 ℃, and the exterior, which may be around 0 ℉ / – 15 ℃. can reach over 50 degrees Fahrenheit (or – 25 ℃). If you have a garage door with a good thermal insulation value of R‑16, that means that your garage door is wearing the equivalent of three insulated winter coats, one on top of the other, each sporting one inch (25 mm) of Thinsulate insulation!
  • The same calculations apply in the summer, when insulation helps keep your garage cooler than the outside temperature.

Strong garage doors make stronger homes

Now you know that your garage door plays a significant role in keeping your home safe, comfortable, and accessible. Having a well‑insulated and weathertight garage door is one of the most important purchases a homeowner can make. Doors equipped with polyurethane insulation will not only insulate you from cold and heat, they will also greatly reduce exterior noise, and offer high bending resistance to ensure a longer lifespan.

Thinking that it’s time to change up your garage door for a stronger model? You can contact us at 519-829-3777, or meet us at our showroom, where we would love to explain the whole range of products we carry. We can help you find an attractive door that will fit the style of your house perfectly, or you can send us a request for an online quotation.

Finally, why not try use a tool like our Design Centre to get a feel for the type of garage door you may want? You can also view our image gallery for lots of inspiration.

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