There are four basic types of garage doors for residential properties:

• Pan Door: TradeMark™ and BuildMark®
• polystyrene Insulated Door: Encore
• Polyurethane Insulated Door: Aspen™ AP200, Aspen™ AP138, Aspen™ AP200N, Aspen™ AP200LV, and RockCreeke™
• Aluminum Rail and Stile Glass Doors: Raynor StyleView®

With the exception of the aluminum/glass door, the doors can look very similar from the outside. So what is the correct garage door for your application? 

Let’s start with garage door insulation. Consider these two key elements:

1. What type of climate do you live in?
2. Is your garage attached? Detached? Underneath rooms (bi-level)?

Pan doors and aluminum rail and stile glass doors are not insulated. They offer virtually no R-value. Pan doors are a good choice for detached garages or moderate climates with an attached garage. However, insulation can be added to pan doors for minimal R-value and noise suppression. Aluminum rail and stile glass doors are a great choice if aesthetics are the main concern.

Polystyrene insulated garage doors are a three-layer door. Polystyrene insulation is bonded between two layers of steel providing a good R-value. These doors are a good choice for harsher climates (both cold and heat) as well as attached garages. Many aesthetic options and design elements are available to tailor these doors to your house for exceptional curb appeal.

Polyurethane insulated garage doors are also a three-layer door. However, these doors feature a “foam-in-place” insulation that entirely fills all voids between the two layers of steel. Polyurethane offers the highest R-value available. This is an excellent choice for attached garages, garages that are underneath rooms and harsh climates (both hot and cold). Our Aspen™ polyurethane doors also feature Raynor’s proprietary WeatherLock™ section joint and seal system. As with our polystyrene doors, many aesthetic options and design elements are available.

What about garage door windows?

Garage door windows can add a tremendous amount of curb appeal to your residential door and overall appearance of your home. There are many garage door window options available, and consider the type of door you selected to choose the correct glass. For instance, with a pan door you can choose single pane glass, but if you need an insulated door, always select insulated glass to maintain as much R-value as possible.

Dress it up! Increase your home’s curb appeal with a new garage door.

Raynor has many options that can be added to increase your home’s curb appeal. You have a choice of garage door panel designs, color options and garage door decorative hardware in the form of straps and handles. Don’t forget about the inside of the garage. You can upgrade from conventional galvanized hardware to EnduraCote™ hardware – a clean white powder coat system for your track and hardware and black powder coated springs and torsion tube, and add to your warranty period at the same time.

Raynor has a wide variety of doors and options to customize your garage door to your house, giving a perfect fit for your needs.

Learn more about Raynor residential garage door products.