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| | | Garage doors are typically up to 30 percent of a home's exterior look. Replacing a dated garage door with a durable and decorative new model can increase energy insulation while adding architectural interest. | | |
| Typical costs: | - Generally garage doors are either tilt-up models or have hinged panels that roll up and down. Average sized (16x7 foot) aluminum single-piece tilt-up garage doors run $400 -$700 (installed), are extremely lightweight, and don't rust -- but they do dent easily.
- Installation of an average 16x7 tilt-up wood door of flush construction (exterior plywood or siding to match the house mounted on a frame of fir or other soft wood) starts at $400 -$700; for sectional roll-up wood doors designed to be painted it's about $800 -$1,000; higher-grade roll-up stained wood panels average $1,200 -$2,000 or more, depending on the type of wood and any decorative additions to the panels; and custom-built wood doors start around $2,500 -$3,000 and go up from there. Wood is popular for its natural look and style, but needs regular maintenance to avoid warping or cracking as it ages.
- Expect to pay $750 -$1,200 to have an average-sized 16x7 foot steel garage door installed. The less-expensive models are usually thinner metal and may be single skin; double-skin doors have foam insulation between two panels, giving a nice look both the inside and outside. Premium doors are typically 2 inches thick, filled with insulation, have thicker steel panels and include weather-stripping and weather seals. Steel doesn't rust and doesn't need repainting as often as wood does, but it will dent and repairs can be difficult.
- Whether it's metal or wood, garage door manufacturers provide many styles, from a basic frame-and-panel design to sculpted segments, horizontal ribbing, or built-in narrow strips of single- or dual-pane windows across the top of the door that are both decorative and a source of light in a dark garage. Models with these options tend to be in the higher end of the price ranges.
- Installing a garage door is considered a medium-difficult do-it-yourself project for a two-person team, at an average cost of $300 -$500, depending on the type of door chosen.
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| What should be included: | |
| Additional costs: | - Some new models include an automatic garage door opener; if not, an opener can add $130 -$300 to the total price. Additional key-chain-sized or programmable transmitters might be another $15 -$50 each.
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| Shopping for a garage door: | |
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Article updated July 2007 |
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