Choosing a garage door needn’t be painful, but as with any other home improvement project you should keep your wits about you and take all the advice that is available. In that spirit, review the following four secrets of choosing the right garage door. They’re applicable to the most common garage doors, but the same principles apply just about anywhere in the world and with any brand.

1.    Thinking about space
The space within your garage is a valuable asset. Be wary of garage doors that rob you of that space – it is usually not worth saving money on cheaper doors, if they will rob you of valuable cubic feet of usable space. Hinged doors opening inwards tend to take up more space inside. The standard sectional design is best – most of the space sectional garage doors need to operate is above your head, where it is not used much anyway. These sectional doors take up hardly any space inside our outside, and as such they can justify a higher price-tag. If your house is in a high-density area, sectional garage doors are the ideal choice for you.

2.    Let there be light
A second secret: you should be thinking about your garage door not just as a door, but as a window. If you’re ever going to work in your garage, you’ll really benefit from getting some natural light in there. Adding windows to your garage door doesn’t add much expense, but it will make your garage a much more pleasant place to spend time. So garage tinkerers should get windows in their garage doors.

3.    Keeping safe
Badly installed garage doors can injure your children. Yes, it sounds like I’m trying to scare you – but I’m afraid it’s true. The risk is reduced enormously if you take sensible basic precautions. Employ a trustworthy, safety-conscious firm to install your garage door, and get them to explain what precautions they are taking. Demand that the doors meet appropriate safety standards. For instance, they must reverse if they hit an obstacle in their path – because that obstacle could be you.

Then once you have the garage door, you will need to keep them safe by checking and maintaining them properly. Keep your garage doors well-oiled and clean, and above all well-balanced. Have them serviced regularly (once a year is appropriate): it won’t take long or cost much, and easily justifies itself through your increased peace of mind.

4.    Locks and keys
Garage doors need to be just as secure as every other entry point to your home. If you are installing a remote-controlled set of automatic garage doors, you need to be sure that the security mechanisms in the remote control are at least as reliable as the physical bolts protecting your front door. The security of electronic devices is an area where it is notoriously easy to be fooled by a salesperson. So I would advise you against trying to understand the ins and outs of the system yourself. Instead, look for a reliable business selling garage doors, one which has been in business for some time and has satisfied customers. Check out the models of doors they suggest on the Internet or with knowledgeable friends, looking to see if there have been reports of security problems with them.

For more information, visit www.HendershotDoors.com