When shopping for a new garage door, you want to ensure you get one that will work quickly and easily and also quietly. However, today's garage doors are often more complicated than ever and may offer many features that you've never expected. Beyond the garage motor capacity, you might note a few features to consider when you're ready to shop for a new garage door.

1. Insulation

Insulation can be especially important if you're looking to use your garage as a workspace or know that you spend time in the garage for any reason. An insulated door can also keep your family's noise inside your home and keep neighborhood noise out; this is good for practicing with your band in the garage without bothering your neighbors or for keeping your home quiet when the nearby school lets out.

The thickness of a door doesn't determine its insulating properties. The insulating properties of a garage door may be expressed in what is called its R-value. This takes into account any type of insulation between the two panels that make up a lightweight door or the overall structure of a steel door. Look for the R-value when looking at the insulating properties of a garage door.

2. Safety

A garage door can be very unsafe, as it can be heavy, and of course, it moves on its own when you invest in a remote opener. Look for pinch-resistant panels that push fingers out of the way rather than just closing over them. Bottom brackets can stop a garage door from slamming shut if something were to happen to the spring or motor.

If you work in your garage with any type of hazardous material, including welders, gas, and the like, look for a fire-resistant door. This may be one with an insulating foam in the middle of two panels that stops a fire before it can spread.

Another safety concern is the spring or springs of the door. Be wary of any garage door with an exposed spring. Today's doors usually have a steel tubing for the spring or springs; if the spring should break, it will then safely stay within that steel tubing. Remember that garage door springs work under tremendous pressure and force, and if one breaks, this can cause severe injury and even death. Look for very strong steel tubing for the spring of the door, as this will keep you safe in case of it breaking while you're in the garage.

For more information about your options for garage materials and garage door motors, contact a local garage installation company.