What Are The Most Affordable Garage Doors On The Market?

Affordable garage doors should allow ease of access to your home and give you a sense of security. Affordable garage doors must protect your vehicle from extreme weather, add value to your home, and give it a smart finish. These additions to your home are essential and we will show you how to get the best option on a budget. Can you go for the cheapest garage doors? Or do you have to spend thousands of dollars to get something decent? Is there a happy medium offering affordability and quality?

Answering these questions can seem tricky, especially if you’re a first-time homeowner in Canada.

This article will help you understand the options you have when looking at the most affordable garage doors on the market.

We’ll give you all the information you need to choose the right option for your budget with confidence.

A garage door should fit your home’s aesthetic, as well as falling within your set budget. They should ideally last a lifetime, although some maintenance will be necessary from time to time.

Poorly constructed garage doors may only survive a few weather storms at most. This will become expensive because you need to keep replacing them.

This article will guide you through the most affordable garage doors on the market. We’ll highlight the dos and don’ts when selecting affordable garage doors for residential or commercial use.

The price tag of the door is dependent on the material used in the manufacturing process, whether it’s insulated, the size, and if it’s automatic or manual.

With anything you buy, remember that cheap doesn’t equal good quality. Often, cheap doors will cost you more in the long run, as they are easily dented and require repeated repair.

If you are on a tight budget and can’t afford to spend hundreds of thousands on a garage door, there’s still no need to worry. There are sturdy, affordable garage doors that are suited to smaller budgets.

Materials

The type of material your garage door is made from will decide whether it’s made to last or be damaged by a harsh winter in Canada. Some fantastic options are both durable and affordable.

Aluminum Doors

An aluminum garage door is one of the cheapest options on the market. They come in a wide range of design choices that can suit your home’s outside aesthetic.

Aluminum garage doors are low maintenance at first and won’t cost you tons of money upfront. They offer a reasonable amount of rust resistance and they are very light.

The major drawback with an aluminum garage door is that it is easily dented. So if you’re in an area with intense storms, steel is the better option.

Steel Doors - The Best Affordable Garage Doors Overall

It’s wise to look at steel next as garage doors made from this material are still affordable and much longer-lasting than aluminum.

Steel garage doors are the stronger and more secure option when compared to other options. They are less susceptible to denting.

Nowadays, steel garage doors can even be made to mimic the textures of wooden garage doors. This creates a design that many people love and that can fit any residential home exterior.

In addition to their versatility in styles, steel garage doors won’t crack or dent in extreme climate conditions. Like aluminum, steel garage doors don’t rust easily. But they usually don’t require repair work as often as an aluminum door.

The good news is that a steel garage door won’t cost you all that much more than aluminum. So, if you have the extra cash, go for a steel garage door.

Wooden Garage Doors

When deciding on an affordable garage door, wooden doors are generally not your best choice. Although these doors look beautiful with their natural finish at first, they can give you problems later.

Wooden doors are more easily damaged and susceptible to harsh weather conditions. They shrink and expand with temperature changes more than you would want a garage door to do. This can permanently alter their structure, eventually making them unusable.

Garage doors made of wood require regular upkeep, including repainting or revarnishing and refinishing. They may need refurbishment and replacement after a few years

The most affordable option is painted wood with flat hardboard panels. Wood doors that are stain graded will be more pricey. But they offer the benefit of warmth and they can increase the value of your home.

You may be happy with wood if the design suits your home well. Just bear in mind that a wooden door is a greater financial commitment because of its yearly upkeep.

If you’re set on having a wooden door, then consider cedarwood. They are pest-resistant and are less prone to damage by excess moisture. They are also less likely to warp and crack than other wood types.

Fiberglass Doors

Fiberglass garage doors are becoming more popular among homeowners because of their resistance to denting, warping, insect infestations, and rust build-up. These doors have an insulated steel frame and can be coated to mimic a wooden finish.

They are affordable, depending on extras such as glass windows or insulation.

Their low repair costs and the extra lightweight material make them one of the most affordable doors on the market, especially over the long term.

Other advantages of fiberglass include resistance to the effects of salt air. Because of this benefit, fiberglass doors work well when resistance to corrosive sea-side weather is key.

Plastic and Vinyl Doors

Plastic or vinyl doors are more commonly used in residential areas. They will do the job, but they are not well-suited for commercial use. Plastic garage doors are lightweight.

However, plastic doors have been shown to crack in extremely cold conditions, so those living in the northern parts of Canada should consider something hardier.

Insulation

Adding insulation to your garage door design comes with many benefits, from conserving energy to keeping your garage interior warmer. But it will add to the price. So you can add it later on.

It’s worth spending extra on upgrading your existing insulation to a polyurethane insulated garage door. Installation can increase insulation efficiency by a factor of 2, which is a bargain for the price you pay.

Insulated garage doors are more resistant to dents, are quiet, and increase energy efficiency.

If your residential garage doors are mainly used to park your vehicles safely, then you can consider going without additional insulation.

Affordable Garage Door Styles and Designs

Once you decide on a type of door, then comes the fun part of deciding on a specific design and finish you’ll be most happy with.

There are many styles to choose from and it all depends on the look you’re going for.

Calgary Garage Door Fix can provide many styles and finished textures, from the more affordable yet quality flush-style garage doors to fancier mid-century designs, to name just two design choices.

Many affordable garage door styles can still have glass panels added with an insulation co-efficient R, which tells you how effective the built-in insulation is.

The price will largely depend on these factors, but it is always good to consult a professional to get the most affordable garage doors.

Manual Garage Doors

Price and affordability also depend on how your garage door is opened. This comes down to whether they are manual or automatic electric doors with a garage door opener.

If you get manual garage doors to save money, try to get the best materials you can afford so they last as long as possible.

You can go for the best manual steel doors you can afford and then upgrade them to automatic later.

The biggest drawback with manual garage doors is that they are much less convenient to operate, especially for residential purposes. Having to get out of your car to open the door in stormy weather conditions isn’t an attractive idea.

Manual garage doors are a budget-friendly option. There are some advantages too, depending on your situation and expectations.

They require less maintenance and there are no garage opener batteries or electronic components, which means no replacements are needed. They work during power outages and get you to do a bit of exercise every day too.

Manual doors can still be an attractive option if you are a younger or single person with a limited budget. You might be happy with this kind of garage door as an entry-level option for the time being.

You can look forward to upgrading it over time as you invest more in your home. Talk to the experts about the right way to plan for this.

Automatic Garage Doors

Electric doors are more expensive due to the parts and devices, such as an opener, and installation expenses. But they are by far the more convenient and safer option for residential and business purposes.

Electric doors can come with additions like automatic lights that shine when the door is opened to sensors that will detect objects in the closing path of the door. This prevents damage to the door and anything around it.

If you happen to find yourself without power, electric garage doors come with a safety release cord. So you can manually raise the door from the inside.

Additionally, with electric garage doors, you can install a battery backup so you can still open them when the power is off.

Conclusion

Garage doors are there to protect your vehicle or workstation from the elements and break-ins.

If you want the best out of affordable garage doors, go for automatic steel doors with a backup battery because of the low maintenance costs, quality, and durability they offer.

It’s wise to contact your local garage door supply and installation company for an evaluation to gain more insight into what’s the best affordable garage door for your particular home or business.