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Discussion Forum

Garage door manufacturers

nkhandyman | Posted in General Discussion on June 12, 2009 04:01am

Are the garage doors sold at lowes/HD good quality. If not what are good brands?
Thanks

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  1. FastEddie | Jun 12, 2009 04:20pm | #1

    Overhead Door Corp.

    "Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

    "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

    1. barmil | Jun 14, 2009 05:31am | #2

      Don't know your age. but I'm 61. I decided at this age that I would rather pay others to do things that could kill me or take up too much of my time. Like a garage door. The ones with the coil springs on top are apparently dangerous enough to leave to professional others, which I've now done. I had no problem in the past dealing with those with those extended coil springs, but that's now past.

      Mine is Overhead Door, and it's great.

      Edited 6/13/2009 10:32 pm ET by BARMIL

      1. User avater
        Dreamcatcher | Jun 14, 2009 06:50am | #5

        "..... to do things that could kill me or take up too much of my time."well, that doesn't really leave much does it?FWIW, winding a garage door spring is not very dangerous.

        1. FastEddie | Jun 14, 2009 06:54am | #6

          winding a garage door spring is not very dangerous

          I have done it twice.  Don't ereally understand why I did it the seciond time.  I will ... and have ... paid someone to do it for me now.  Way too scary.  I can just imagine the prybar slipping out of the hole when it's almost tight enough."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

          "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

          1. User avater
            Dreamcatcher | Jun 14, 2009 07:06am | #7

            "I can just imagine the prybar slipping out of the hole when it's almost tight enough."You shouldn't let your imagination get the best of you. ;]Why would you use a "prybar" anyway? I've used short steel rods that fit in the holes on the spring. Wind a quarter turn and let the bar rest the tension on the header. Repeat as necessary.

          2. FastEddie | Jun 14, 2009 05:51pm | #11

            Prybar was a generic term."Put your creed in your deed."   Emerson

            "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

        2. barmil | Jun 15, 2009 03:35am | #12

          Dreamcatcher,

          I've gotten to my age by not usually doing dangerous and stupid things. Playing with garage door springs, the rolled kind, not the elongated, isn't in my repertoire. I admit to having flown helicopters in Vietnam, but I was much younger then. I think I once got under a car supported by only its jack, but I was also much younger then. Why do you have to reach sixty before you realize it's smart to wear gloves in your shop?

          BarMil

        3. webted | Jun 15, 2009 07:24pm | #14

          http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=117430.17Since that post, I heard a story from friend who was getting help moving into his first house. His father-in-law, an orthopedic surgeon, took a break from the unpacking. He said, "Come look at something with me." He led him into the garage and pointed up at the garage door spring: "Don't ever touch that thing. I've had to fix so many people that have, that I think they should be illegal." FWIW, I don't PERSONALLY find climbing frozen waterfalls or sheer granite cliffs far from civilization particularly dangerous, but I'd hardly make a blanket statement saying those activities are "not very dangerous."-t

          1. User avater
            Dreamcatcher | Jun 16, 2009 03:30am | #15

            I said it wasn't very dangerous...I didn't say it was idiot-proof.DC

          2. barmil | Jun 19, 2009 04:11am | #16

            Sort of like changing tires on split rim wheels without a cage?

  2. WayneL5 | Jun 14, 2009 05:40am | #3

    I don't know about HD/Lowes.  I've used Garaga doors.  If you want an insulated door, they are outstanding.  You can get doors up to R-18.

  3. User avater
    Dreamcatcher | Jun 14, 2009 06:45am | #4

    Home depot sell Clopay garage doors....they seem of typical quality.

    I'm no garage door expert but I have installed more than a few including Clopay, Gadco, custom made wood doors, and some brands I don't recall. They all seem to be about the same to me.

    What do you feel defines a higher quality door?

  4. Pelipeth | Jun 14, 2009 01:25pm | #8

    In my area, West. Co.,NY. Garage doors have become real big business. Read $$$$$$. And quite frankly some of them are stunning while adding a good deal of curb appeal. Folks are dropping $2000 per door and up with mostly a retro look, these are not stamped steel doors.

    Many clients change out the doors while existing ones are in perfect condition. If your dealing with new construction remember to always try and have the entry on the sides or even the back of the home, just a nicer look IMO.

  5. scrumseeker | Jun 14, 2009 02:44pm | #9

    If you are in the market for prefinished steel, insulated garage doors, there are a few details that will make for a nicer product.

    First look for a door that uses polyurethane insulation instead of polystyrene.  The polyurethane insulation has a much higher R-value,  and is usually cured to the steel skins during the manufacturing process which creates a much stronger panel.

    Second,  a torsion spring counterbalance system will work more smoothly,  quietly,  and safely than an extension spring system.

    I would recommend looking into a local garage door company for purchasing a door, even if you want to install it yourself.  You will be able to talk to someone that has real experience with the products, and probably get just as good of a price.

    Good luck

  6. User avater
    Dreamcatcher | Jun 14, 2009 04:22pm | #10

    You didn't say what width your door was; I guess I also prefer a central torsion spring to extension springs. The single car Clopay doors at Home Depot use extension springs, the 16 foot doors use torsion springs. You can special order visa versa if you want.

    Another option is to just make your garage doors.....you're a handyman aren't ya!?!

    Seriously, they are easy to make.

    DC

  7. alwaysoverbudget | Jun 15, 2009 04:45am | #13

    i just last week installed a door from lowes. they sell wayne dalton brand doors.

     

    i bought my first wd doorback in 85 and they were the best garage door i had ever have seen. the were great if i remember right they were call thermadoor 200's

     since then i have put up probably 40 wayne dalton doors,everthing from commercial to residental on my rentals. last week was the last time i wil ever hang . these are the type that the foam is sandwiched into the skins. the metal on the skins have gotten so thin they won't even tell you what gauge the are,i would guess in the 32 ga range. you can take a sharp pencil and poke a hole in the face.

    on my home i have 4 wd doors and on a garage that was already here there is a clopay door.i'm not about to say the clopay is the greatest,but 2 years ago when it hailed it pumled the wd doors. the clopay had 2 very small dents.

    so i'm switching to something else,don't know what yet .................wayne dalton has lost me.

    YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T
    MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE
    DUCT TAPE.

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