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Discussion Forum

Source for garage door

BradG | Posted in General Discussion on November 22, 2007 08:40am

I’m converting my 20×20 car port into a garage and will need an 18′ wide steel insulated door soon. Suggestions for a good source for a door (I assume online)? I’ve checked out 5 online sites that generally have the same or similar products. Interested in what the pros in the croud suggest.

I live in WA, so sources outside of my own state are good (they give me the oportunity to pay the sales tax myself as opposed to collecting it at the time of sale.) I’ll need an opener as well, so suggestions for what brands to consider or avoid are appreciated as well.

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  1. DanH | Nov 22, 2007 02:54pm | #1

    I've been looking for a decent garage door for five years, at least. Most of the steel units are carp, and the ones that aren't still look like sith. That's why we still have our 31-year-old hardboard faced door.

    If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader
  2. junkhound | Nov 22, 2007 04:35pm | #2

    If you are in the Seattle area, there is a garage door company in Kent, just north of the library, that should be able to provide anything you want.

    Don't remember the name of the company, but used to get free old doors from them for some sheds, you might be able to score a free one if satisfied with rust and dents or an old wood 16 ft door (18' is pretty non-standard).  Before the WA state clean air fireplace laws, they used to have a stack out back of old wood doors cut up into fireplace lengths!

    I have a few extra garage door openers, can give you one if you want, not the 'latest and greatest', but OK for 2nd garages or sheds.   Live east of Renton.

    See this was just your 3rd post.  Welcome. 

    It is a help to other for responses to fill in your profile (double click on your own name in the heading of the post)

    1. BradG | Nov 22, 2007 09:52pm | #3

      ah hah! that's how you fill out a profile ... done. Thx 'hound.

      Appreciate the tip and I'll look into them. While I've allowed myself a $5k budget for this project, less is always good (one step closer to another tool).

      Oh, on 18ft door ... the space between the house and the exterior support post is 20ft. Since I've never heard anyone complain that their garage door is too wide I figured I'd go as wide as reasonably possible. The price difference upon general searching was not huge, so I figured it'd be no problem.

      What does everyone thing about the bigbox store brands? Looks like they're sold only as installed, but I could do some digging as well.

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Nov 22, 2007 10:39pm | #4

        While not as common at the 16ft doors, 18 ft is a standard size. That is what I have.With one that big I would get it installed.Chamberlain, Liftmaster, and Sears are the same basic opener. Liftmaster is the pro version, comes with a one piece rail and often a more feature wall control. Otherwise they are all about the same for similar models.I really like the belt drive units..
        .
        A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.

      2. peteshlagor | Nov 23, 2007 02:53am | #6

        My kid has a steel garage door from a big box.  Gotta put on hearing protection every time it opens or closes.  It'll wake the dead!

        I got a nice molded pressboard from Anaheim Doors in (where else) Anaheim, CA.  Very fine detail.  So much so, that it appears gel stainable.  But I painted it cause it was facing the sun all day.  Really quiet set of doors.  Almost couldn't hear the things operate.  The nice thing was the white powder coated hardware - even the rails.

        I had the installers remove the existing doors when they delivered the new ones.  With the understanding that they come back one week later to do the install after I had the things painted.

        While I was doing that, I had my trim carp remove the old wood and retrim the opening with stained oak.  Of course, he also put in matching base, casing and crown in the workbench area - which just had the old kitchen cabinets (base and wall) reinstalled there.  So's everything matched nicely.

  3. joeh | Nov 23, 2007 12:16am | #5

    I'd call and find the installed price from whoever is local. (Not the big box, they will be more)

    You might find the door installed for the same price you'll pay for a door.

    Joe H

  4. WayneL5 | Nov 23, 2007 04:11am | #7

    I used a Garaga brand insulated door and found it top quality.  They have, believe it or not, doors up to R18.

    http://www.garaga.com/

  5. scrumseeker | Nov 23, 2007 04:31am | #8

    I have been using a lot of garage doors by Haas lately, and have found them to be very well made.  I use the sandwich style doors (inside and outside steel skin with a polyurethane insulation material @ r-12).  They are available in several styles, including flush,  colonial raised panel,  ranch style raised panel,  and a very popular carriage style look.  I believe they have a nationwide distribution network of local dealers.

    Liftmaster operators are the brand I prefer. 

    I always order my doors with a torsion spring counterbalance system,  and the nylon rollers for smooth and quiet operation.  And if you use a belt drive operator the door can be almost silent.

    I would also probably request some extra struts (horizontal bracing) for any steel door 16' or 18' wide. 

  6. alwaysoverbudget | Nov 23, 2007 05:38am | #9

    well i can tell who i wouldn't use. i bought my first set of wayne dalton doors in 83 thermaspan 200's. really a great door. since then i have put up probably 40 wayne dalton doors including 7 of them at my own home 3 years ago.i am so done with these doors but not much to do but wear them out and then replace them. the metal skin is so thin [my guess is about 32 gauge ,wayne won't even tell you] that i can actually make a dent with my thumb.these are a 2 sided metal with poly foam in between.

     

    i have not had  much luck with finding doors online,mainly because the shipping runs the price past  buying local. if you find a outlet let me know ,i would be interested. larry

    if a man speaks in the forest,and there's not a woman to hear him,is he still wrong?

    1. BradG | Nov 23, 2007 09:24am | #10

      thanks for the info gang ... keep 'em comming!

      Interesting about the Wayne Dalton brand - nice website, but I noticed as well that they didn't call out the gauge of steel used while much less fancy brands do. Thanks for the wave-off on them. Any experience with their iDrive opener?

      The Garaga site is looking good, but clearly no online ordering. Need to see if they have a local rep.

      1. Stilletto | Nov 23, 2007 02:16pm | #11

        Have you looked at Overhead Door yet? 

        I really like their doors. 

        Like Bill H said Belt drive openers are the way to go hands down.  quiet doesn't begin to describe them. 

        Matt- Woods favorite carpenter. 

  7. User avater
    Dreamcatcher | Nov 24, 2007 10:04am | #12

    BradG,

    Have you ever thought of making your own garage doors?

    I don't know anyone who has done it but I've got a plan I've been working on and it doesn't seem like it would be too difficult. I wanted a couple of cedar doors, but when I looked around for pricing and saw they wanted $2-5k I decided to design my own. So far it looks like it would cost me around $400 to do myself. Supposed to get started soon as my winter project so we'll see.

    Good luck
    gk

    1. DanH | Nov 24, 2007 04:25pm | #13

      I've thought about it. Figure I could at least replicate the hardboard units we have now, except that I don't know where to get 16' Masonite.
      If your view never changes you're following the wrong leader

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