Frequently Asked Questions about Garage Doors
Could I get some help narrowing down my garage door options to find the best one to fit my needs?
Check out our Garage Door Selection Guide to help you choose the best door to fit your lifestyle and needs.
What are the standard sizes of Overhead Door’s residential garage doors?
Standard sizes are whole width increments starting at 8' wide and going to 20' wide. Some door series have sizes smaller than that. Standard heights are 7' and 8' tall. Odd-heights and odd-widths are also available and vary by individual door series.
Can my garage door be painted?
Overhead Door’s steel garage doors for residential and commercial applications can be painted in the color of your choosing, with 100-percent acrylic latex paint. Some doors can also be powder coated, and we offer 197 powder coat colors to best complement the look of your home or your facility.
Can I replace a section of my door, or do I need to replace the whole door?
Depending upon the damage involved to the garage door system, replacing only a section of your garage door is possible in some cases. For additional help, your Overhead Door Ribbon® Distributor, can answer your garage door questions, evaluate your situation and recommend the best course of action.
What is R-value, and how does it benefit me?
R-value is a standardized measurement of thermal efficiency. The higher the R-value, the greater the garage door’s insulating properties. Overhead Door manufactures insulated garage doors for residential and commercial applications, with a broad range of R-values designed to meet your needs. Our Thermacore® doors offer the highest R-values up to 17.5.
How much does a garage door system cost?
Our products are available exclusively through a nationwide network of Overhead Door Ribbon® Distributor That means the answer to this garage door question varies. A wide range of factors, including regional conditions, influences prices of new garage door systems. Contact your local Ribbon Distributor for help with up-to-date pricing regarding the specific product(s) you are considering. What maintenance does my garage door require?
Our garage door systems are built for long-lasting performance and daily use, but we recommend inspecting your garage door annually. Your Overhead Door Ribbon® Distributor can give you a thorough evaluation and perform routine maintenance, as needed. You can also visit our product downloads, access our online instructions or complete our online form for assistance.
I have a low ceiling in my garage. Will a garage door and opener work in this space?
Yes. A residential garage door requires a minimum of 4 1/2” of headroom space. Your garage door system may need a low-headroom track system or a low-headroom-torsion rear-track system. For a garage door opener, you will need slightly more headroom (about 6 1/2” minimum).
Can my non-insulated door be insulated?
Yes, your Overhead Door Ribbon® Distributor has insulation kits available for installation on non-insulated garage doors.
What garage door best complements my home’s architecture?
This is a common question when it comes to choosing a garage door. Overhead Door offers many designs, with a number of options to further customize your garage door.
- For a contemporary look to set your home apart, our Modern Aluminum Collection features garage doors that combine glass and aluminum for unparalleled visual style, strength and light infiltration. It’s a unique solution for your extraordinary home.
- To transform the look of your home, choose a beautiful, custom-crafted wood door. Fine woods and precision craftsmanship make the doors in our Ranch House Collection® architectural works of art. Browse 18 classic designs, available in semi-custom or custom styles. You can also design your own door to match your home’s architectural style. Optional decorative hardware adds the finishing touch.
- For the beauty of wood and the durability of steel, our Courtyard Collection® combines the classic look of a carriage-house door with the value of insulated steel. These doors come in your choice of 18 different designs (with or without windows) and six colors. Or they can be painted to match your home’s color scheme (frames, trim and overlays are white).
- EcoBuilt® doors are easy to install, and they come prepped for painting in the colors you choose, eliminating the need for exterior priming.
- Our Thermacore® doors feature wood-grain embossments to enhance the appearance of your door. Choose standard-raised or woodgrain-textured flush panels in six different colors.
- For classic beauty, our Ribbon ® V12 garage doors showcase the distinct, embossed look of wood. Standard wainscoting embossments add a prominent look of historic architecture.
- Contemporary styling is a hallmark of Overhead Door’s Banner Collection® . These doors are available with classic, raised panels or traditional, long panels, each featuring finely detailed embossments (shadow grooves) that give the Banner Collection® a look of distinction.
- Our traditional steel garage doors of simulated woodgrain embossments enhance the appearance of your door. Choose from classic, raised panels or contemporary, ranch panels (some models). All doors can be painted to match your home’s décor.
What residential garage door suits my lifestyle?
- Our recycled-wood EcoBuilt® doors are specially formulated with resins and waxes to resist moisture, outperforming other doors in tests for weather and time. They also resist splitting, warping, cracking, denting and bending.
- If you have children or pets, you probably experience above-normal traffic into and out of your garage. That’s why we recommend choosing a residential garage door with quiet operation and added safety features. Ribbon® V12 and Banner Collection® doors feature quiet operation, with Triathlon™ polymer hinges for no moving, metal-on-metal parts; spring-tension polymer rollers for smooth performance; and varying degrees of insulation for thermal efficiency and sound abatement. They are also constructed with hot-dipped, galvanized steel with two coats of baked-on polyester paint for a durable, dent-resistant finish. Finally, choosing a garage door from these collections comes with maximum safety for children at play. Pinch-resistant panels protect fingers, and tamper-resistant bottom fixtures prevent the accidental release of the powerful spring load.
- Our Modern Aluminum Collection showcases wide, heavy-duty frames and an extensive assortment of frame finishes for doors sizes up to 26’ 2”. Commercial-grade, aluminum frames are low maintenance and corrosion resistant.
- The Courtyard Collection® features our patented, CFC-free Thermacore® construction (steel-polyurethane-steel) and between-section thermal seals for resistance to the elements. Woodgrain-textured trim boards are thick and dent resistant to withstand the demands of family life and the stress of daily use.
What garage door works best in my climate?
- If your garage will be subjected to extreme temperatures, hot or cold, consider a well-insulated Thermacore® door to ensure your maximum comfort. The higher a door’s R-value, the greater its insulating properties. And Thermacore® doors offer R-values up to 17.5. This is made possible by a continuous layer of foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation sandwiched between two layers of rust- and corrosion-resistant steel. These doors also feature between-section seals that provide added resistance to air infiltration, as well as bulb-type bottom seals that guard against wind and rain. Choose from raised or flush panels, or you may combine the energy efficiency of Thermacore® with the carriage-house styling of Courtyard Collection® doors.
- If you live in a coastal region or area with special wind codes and regulations, Overhead Door also offers a variety of heavy-duty, wind-load doors built to withstand hurricane-force pressures. We customize our doors to meet or exceed any state or county wind-load code. Ask an Overhead Door Ribbon® Distributor for more details about choosing a garage door in your area.
What residential garage door is the longest lasting?
Overhead Door takes great pride in manufacturing residential products that work every day and last for life. We stand behind our work. To prove it, all residential garage doors automatically come with a warranty that protects against rust-through for as long as you own your home. And to demonstrate our commitment to customer satisfaction, high standards and quality workmanship, all Overhead Door garage doors include a one-year, non-transferable, limited warranty (see warranty for full details). You may also consult your Overhead Door Ribbon® Distributor for additional details and hassle-free maintenance, repairs and service.
How can I see how a new garage door would look on my house before I purchase?
Please ask your Ribbon Distributor to use DoorView™ — a visualization tool that allows you to see our doors on a picture of your house—to help you make the best selection. To see how DoorView works, please check out the online version of DoorView that features a choice of several stock house photos.