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Thinking of buying a new garage door?

This is your chance to significantly upgrade the look of your Florida home.  An impact garage door, also known as a hurricane garage door, will add an extra layer of protection to safeguard your most precious possessions and add tremendous curb appeal. Don’t worry– We understand that this is an important choice and that making a final decision might seem overwhelming… So we created this buyer’s guide for residential garage doors to help you make your selection.

HOW TO SELECT A REPLACEMENT GARAGE DOOR

Purchasing an impact rated garage door is a great way to update the look of your home’s exterior and can help reduce insurance cost. The garage door you select should fit the architectural style of your home, complement your home’s color palette, and consider an insulated garage door that will keep your garage cooler in South Florida’s oppressive heat. We sell only impact rated garage doors that will adhere to local building codes in storm prone South Florida. Here are the most popular styles to consider when making your choice:

Traditional Raised Panel Garage Doors

This is the typical garage door you see on most homes. With short or long panels and a large selection of color choices this is a good choice for many homes. Pictured is the Raynor Masterpiece steel garage door. If you don't like the standard color selections you can order a custom enamel paint color. Some garage door manufacturers offer up to 1,500 color choices that will match your home's color palette.

Contemporary Garage Doors

A contemporary garage door will give your home an updated look and tremendous curb appeal. Contemporary refers to an architectural style of garage door that has sleek, clean lines and a modern look and feel. Very often, contemporary garage doors have windows. However it should be noted that in South Florida, building codes for impact garage doors with windows require that they are made from a heavy duty polycarbonate impact glazing that can be clear or translucent.

Carriage-House Garage Doors

Timeless and classic... Carriage house garage doors bring a rustic, traditional look that never goes out of style. Carriage house garage doors are typically built using a steel, impact garage door that has an overlay finish that looks like elegant wooden doors that are detailed with wrought iron hardware.

Garage Door Finish and Materials

  • The perfect combination of strength, beauty, and affordability. Impact aluminum garage doors are light, corrosion & rust resistant, and hold up well against the extreme weather we have in South Florida. Aluminum garage doors can be pressed to simulate an embossed stucco exterior and fitted with with decorative hardware for a more customized look.

  • Steel impact garage doors are strong, secure, and built to last. A popular choice for residential homes, steel garage doors come in a variety of colors, textures, and styles. They have excellent insulation options that keep your garage cooler in the summer and help reduce energy bills. A steel impact garage door can resist the most extreme weather that Florida can throw at them.

  • Wood garage doors do not hold up to South Florida's weather and they are not impact rated, so a wood or steel panel overlay is the best choice! Wood and steel overlays are panels placed over the strength of a steel impact garage door to create beautiful depth with unlimited custom applications.

Special Garage Door Options

Windows on your Garage Door

Windows in a garage door are great for letting in natural light and adding style to your door. In South Florida, building codes mandate that impact rated polycarbonate glazing is utilized. The glass or glazing can be clear or translucent. Contemporary style garage doors with Impact rated glazing are the hot choice these days for replacement doors.

Insulated vs. Non-Insulated Doors

An insulated garage door has two main advantages, energy efficiency and noise reduction. Your garage door is often the largest entry point on most homes. Having an insulated door can reduce energy cost. A core of polystyrene insulation is pressure bonded between two high strength, impact resistant steel skins, to increase the R-value or thermal resistance.

Garage Door Colors

Garage doors often have a standard color pallet that compliments many homes, however some manufactures offer custom colors. Garage doors are available with 1500 enamel colors to choose from in order to give your door the perfect finish. In addition, you can select a replacement garage doors that come finished with a elegant and natural wood look, but have the strength and durability of steel.

Garage Door Hardware

Garage door hardware can dress up a plain garage door and make it something spectacular. Often straps and handles are added to emulate old fashion wood carriage doors.

HURRICANE RATED GARAGE DOORS (also known as IMPACT GARAGE DOORS)

In hurricane-prone South Florida, garage doors must be tested for specific wind code requirements and impact rated for wind-borne debris to comply with code.  Replacement garage doors must meet the building code requirements for your area’s wind speed, exposure, and structural type.  It should be noted Broward and Miami-Dade County are in a High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, and garage doors must meet the strict Miami-Dade building codes.  It is best consult with a professional to make sure the door you select will meet your local building code requirements and to ensure proper installation for it to pass inspection.

To schedule service or request an estimate, call 954.972.9300.

Additional Information about Residential Garage Doors

EDL carries a large selection of hurricane-rated residential garage doors from top manufacturers. Read more about how to select a hurricane-ready garage door, or browse the our collections from top manufacturers like Raynor Garage Doors, Haas Door, and Eden Coast.