Top Garage Doors for Coastal Climates: Durability & Style
Living on the coast is a dream come true for many. When you own a home, it is important to consider how the climate impacts your property’s various aspects, including your garage door choice. Your garage door needs to be durable and reliable for several reasons — it is your home’s biggest entry point, so it must help secure and protect your home, insulate it for greater energy efficiency, provide privacy and add curb appeal to your property.
On the coast, there are also extra considerations to keep in mind because of the humid, salty air. This coastal garage door guide explores top considerations, including the best garage door materials for coastal homes. The guide also takes a look at coastal garage door styles and how to balance style with function.
Important Considerations for Garage Doors in Coastal Climates
Consider these tips for choosing a coastal home garage door that will last:
- Look for rust-resistant materials: The humid, salty air of a coastal climate can quickly cause materials to rust. Choose a garage door made from corrosion-resistant materials to withstand the conditions.
- Find a garage door with a high-quality finish: A high-quality finish provides an added barrier against salt, moisture and strong winds. A UV-resistant finish can also prevent paint and other coatings from fading and cracking, so your garage door retains its appearance for longer.
- Consider the correct R-value: The R-value measures how insulating garage doors are. It is important for making your home more energy-efficient, especially in coastal areas that experience a range of weather conditions throughout the seasons. A good R-value for coastal garage doors is R-12 to R-18. Doors in this range offer a fairly good amount of insulation and energy efficiency, as well as wind resistance and moisture protection.
- Look for wind-resistant features: Coastal regions generally experience high winds, so you need a garage door that can withstand the constant battering. Look for doors with a reinforced structure that includes bracing, heavy-duty hinges and rollers, a reinforced track and weatherstripping that helps seal your garage against wind.
What Garage Door Material Is Best for Coastal Homes?
A garage door for a coastal house must be weather-resistant and hold up against rust, corrosion and mold. Here are some of the best materials for coastal garage doors.
Aluminum
Aluminum is an excellent material for components around a coastal home. It has a low iron content, so it will not rust. It is also a lightweight material, which means the overall weight of the door places less strain on the garage door system’s other mechanisms. The lightweight construction can help other components last longer.
Despite the lightweight construction, aluminum has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio that can withstand strong winds. Additionally, aluminum is UV-resistant and does not fade or weaken with prolonged exposure to the sun. It is also moisture-resistant. Aluminum is a lower-maintenance material than steel and has a long lifespan, offering a good long-term value.
Steel With Protective Coatings
Steel offers superior strength and impact resistance to aluminum. It is an ideal choice for durable applications, but it has to be treated to be an effective option for coastal homes. Galvanized steel has been treated with a zinc coating to improve its corrosion resistance. Steel can also be coated with other anti-corrosive materials. The protective barrier allows you to have a durable, reinforced steel door and helps protect the steel from moisture and salt. Be sure to ask your garage door specialist for doors with a thick galvanized coating for your coastal home.
Composites and Other Materials
Composite materials like wood and urethane may suit coastal home garage doors. Wood composites use wood fibers but combine them with more durable materials to have a more weather-resistant, long-lasting door. Urethane, or faux wood, is similar to wood composite. You may also explore fiberglass and vinyl door options.
Which Garage Door Materials Are Hurricane Rated?
Exploring hurricane-rated garage doors is essential when you are in a coastal region that is prone to experiencing strong winds. Various materials provide a good level of wind and impact resistance, the best being steel, followed by aluminum, wood and urethane composite. Look for hurricane ratings on a garage door’s label, which will say whether or not it is “Impact and Cyclonic Rated.”
Style Considerations for Coastal Doors
Finding the right garage door style for your coastal home is as important as any other consideration. Your garage door is part of your property and one of the first elements you and your guests notice. With the right style, you can use your garage door to create a beautiful focal point for your property’s facade and add intrinsic value that you love and appreciate every time you pull up to your home.
Garage doors are available in a range of styles to suit your preferences. You can find garage doors in various finishes, shades and colors that complement a beach-style house. The best garage doors for beach homes are those that balance style with functionality and durability. You want good materials, coats of paint, and finishes that all last, especially in coastal conditions.
Tips you can keep in mind for aesthetically pleasing garage doors for coastal homes include:
- Choosing UV-resistant finishes to prevent rapid fading.
- Exploring lighter colors to hide salt residue and reflect heat.
- Experimenting with coastal-inspired palettes for the door’s accents, like blues, teals, sandy beiges and coral.
- Exploring garage doors with accents that are reminiscent of beach homes, like Mediterranean-inspired arches and decorative panels.
- Choosing composite garage doors with steel and a faux wood look for a natural beach style, while still enjoying durable, weather-resistant properties.
Get Quality Garage Doors and Services From Southeastern Garage Doors
A reliable garage door made with the right materials is an essential investment for coastal houses. The best types of garage doors for coastal area homes will have impact ratings and rust-resistant finishes that make your home more energy-efficient and last longer on the coast.
At Southeastern Garage Doors, we offer high-quality garage door products and outstanding garage door services. With over 100 years of combined experience in the garage door industry, you can rely on us to provide durable garage doors that can withstand coastal climates. We also offer garage door openers and professional garage door repairs for private homeowners and contractors across the Charleston Trident area.
Browse our products for coastal garage door ideas for South Carolina homes, and contact us at 843-747-6622 to discuss your garage door needs. You can also reach out online to request an estimate or request a service.
Why Won’t My Garage Door Close?
Garage doors enhance security and provide insulation for your home, but regular wear can cause operational issues that prevent them from functioning properly. If your garage door is not closing, it’s important to figure out the problem.
While you may first consider do-it-yourself methods to fix a garage door that won’t close, it is highly recommended to seek professional help. Garage doors have systems of parts that must properly work together, and some may be hazardous if you try fixing them yourself. Southeastern Garage Doors’ trusted technicians have over 100 years of combined experience. We can diagnose your problem and use specialized tools to fix it.
Symptoms of Garage Door Not Closing
When you try to determine why your garage door is not closing or going back up, confirm the sensors aren’t blocked or dirty. If there is nothing in the way and you notice any of these signs, there may be a damaged or broken part that needs a professional inspection:
- Loud banging or squeaking noises
- Misalignment
- Defective bearings
- Fallen cables
- The door falling too quickly
- Crooked or bent garage door
- Worn-out springs
The garage door cables, springs and opener are common culprits of these symptoms. Count on Southeastern Garage Doors to repair or replace them.
Broken Garage Door Cables
Garage door cables are responsible for smoothly lifting and lowering the garage door. When these snap, fray or are otherwise faulty, further damage can happen to the rest of the system, making the garage door unable to operate.
Broken Garage Door Springs
Broken springs are another culprit as to why your garage door won’t close when there’s nothing in the way. Torsion and extension springs twist to raise and lower your garage door, but these can weaken or deform. We can replace the springs so your garage door has the right amount of tension.
Broken Garage Door Opener
The garage door opener allows you to raise and lower your garage door. It consists of a motor unit, track and remote control. It is possible that the motor has overheated or the gears have worn out. The vertical or horizontal tracks may be bent — we can repair those and other concerns.
Other Possible Reasons
If your cables, springs and opener are in good shape, there are other possibilities why your garage door is not closing or going back up. The sensors may need to be realigned, the wires may have short-circuited or the rollers need to be lubricated.
No matter the symptoms, it’s best not to attempt using your garage door until it has been repaired. Doing so can cause more damage to the part or overall system.
Let Southeastern Garage Doors Repair It
When your garage door is not closing, it could be due to a number of causes, but the best solution is always to contact an expert. When you reach out to our team in Charleston, South Carolina, we deliver convenient same-day service and will work with you to find a time that fits your schedule.
For more information or to request a quote, fill out our contact form or call (843) 747-6622.