A functioning garage door is an important part of your home, especially if you use it as the main entrance. If yours is not working properly or has been damaged beyond repair, you are probably looking at how much it is going to cost to have it replaced. You may be surprised at the estimates you are being given and wonder how you can get the price lowered. Here are a few tips to consider and discuss with the garage door company.

Material

Garage doors can be made of steel, vinyl, fiberglass, wood, or aluminum. Ask for estimates using each of the different materials and choose the one that best fits your budget. They can each be made into any door style and color so the door will look great no matter which material you go with. Keep in mind that the non-wood materials can be embossed to look like wood if that is what you want but do not want the high price tag or more time-consuming maintenance requirements.

Insulation

If there is a room above the garage, adding insulation to the door is important to keep your energy usage down. In addition, that will make the door stronger and more durable. However, if the garage is only used to park vehicles and there is no room above it, not having extra insulation can lower the price tag and save you money.

Features

Adding windows is a good idea if you plan on using the garage to work on the car, as they will allow in more natural light. They can also keep you from having to turn on and off a light to get in and out of the car. However, the more windows you have the higher the price will be. You can also choose to forgo any special hardware or ornamentation on the doors such as wrought iron arches, to keep the price down. Finally, if you are worried about costs, give up the automatic door opener for now. This is something you can have added next month or whenever you have the money to do so.

Don't mess around with a damaged garage door, someone could get seriously injured or you may damage your vehicle or other possessions. Get a few garage door estimates and see what can be done to make it fit your budget better. A few simple changes can keep you from spending more than you wanted.