Garage Door Brands

[strikingtwice]

hey everyone, first time posting here. Should've joined when I bought my home 4 years ago!

I'm in the process of getting info and prices on garage doors. I have a two car garage, and an opener that works fine, so it's just a replacement of the doors and hardware. I wanted to know if anyone knows of the brands and I'll detail some of the offers I've gotten.

One company who gave me a great price is installing a General Door Advantage (their middle of the line). it has a 6.6 r-value and is insulated.

The other company gave me a better price (by only $50 so it's not a huge deal) but the door is a CHI and apparently better. it's a 2" thick door vs a 1 3/8" and has a much higher r-value. I understand that the r-value is kind of a technical specification and doesn't take into account other things like the leakiness of the door or the overall scenario. **I'm new to the forum and can't post links, the models are CHI 2283 or General Advantage**

Anyone have experience with either? I'm leaning toward the cheaper, more effective door, but can't really seem to get concrete and honest info from anyone (obviously, they're installers or vendors who are competing). If anyone has any advice, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks a lot in advance!

Dave

[pushkins]

I'm not overly familiar with either of the brands you mentioned, however I do know that there are only a few actual manufacturers of garage doors, often you will find the same door manufactured by company "A" being sold by companies "X", "Y" and "Z" under different names.
If this garage is attached to your home then a little better insulation IMO is a better idea however if the insulation is only 5/8" more the actual R value doesn't raise enough to make it all that much more efficient. Also to take into account in regards to insulation is the insulation in place in the rest of the garage, garages by code don't require any insulation, as long as any wall or ceiling that makes up part of the actual living space is insulated ie: bedroom above the garage the garage ceiling must be insulated. So going for a higher garage door insulation may be a waste if the exterior garage walls are not insulated.
Depending on where you live, there are codes involved with garage doors regarding hurricane bracing particularly on double doors, so make sure you check to see that either door complies to state/local codes. While doors don't need any city or county inspection/permits to be installed on existing homes, more than once I've seen doors installed that home inspectors take issue with when the owner goes to sell.

[strikingtwice]

hey thanks a lot for your reply. I know what you mean about the insulation values being kind of an overemphasized tech spec. Also, about the manufacturer thing, it would appear that these are manufactured differently, and since that may be the case, it would probably behoove me to just get the "better" and cheaper door, yes?

Thanks for your quick reply as well.

I'm in southern nj, right outside philly so hurricanes aren't really too much of an issue, but good lookout.

[Lone Star Charles]

I just looked up the specs for both of the doors that you mentioned. The General-Door Advantage is constructed from a little thicker steel and uses a little more galvanizing than the C.H.I. 2283. I agree with Pushkin about the R-value not making that much difference at these levels, especially if the rest of the garage is not insulated. In my opinion, I believe that the one with the thicker steel is preferable.

[strikingtwice]

I just looked up the specs for both of the doors that you mentioned. The General-Door Advantage is constructed from a little thicker steel and uses a little more galvanizing than the C.H.I. 2283. I agree with Pushkin about the R-value not making that much difference at these levels, especially if the rest of the garage is not insulated. In my opinion, I believe that the one with the thicker steel is preferable.

Thanks for the reply. Does the one gauge bump compensate for the door being a half inch thicker though? The chi also says it has locking tongue and groove but I'd imagine that all modern doors have that now right? Thanks for the help. The price doesn't even matter with a 50$ difference. I just want to decide on the better door. You are both being very helpful.

[pushkins]

There are two ways of the door panels sealing themselves one is via an "L" style lap and the other is the tongue and groove that you mention, personally I like and use the tongue and groove style, mainly because it seems to add a level of locking or sealing together of the panels. Most if not all doors need to pass fairly tight regulations as to their strength.
The thicker door (2") is probably so because they used the profiling to help reach a certain strength point, thicker gauge steel requires less profile to reach the same strength.

[TJR]

I have never done work on any door from General Doors, but we have installed allot CHI over the last 6 month. The CHI we mostly install is the cheap 2200 model. Yes it is a cheap door, but top quality in the way it all fit together. Many steelback door manufacturers only have a small square reinforcing at the hinges, but the CHI has a 2,5 inch strap in the height of the section.


often you will find the same door manufactured by company "A" being sold by companies "X", "Y" and "Z" under different names.
Wayne Dalton is under Oveerhead Door and none of the two brand doors will fit together and when I see "mix and try to match" with two different brand on the same door, Im there because it don't work. They all have their own little something so you cant do what ever.
The same with sealing between sections, allot has the tongue and groove, Clopay also has the L shape and the pinch resistant. All garage door look the same at the first glance, but go into the details, that is a whole other story.

[royaldoors]

Which door didbyou decide on

[mygaragerepairsacramento]

I only heard good things about General Doors, give it a try man!

[San Jose Garage Experts]

Nah General Doors don't last long, give it 2 years and you need to replace the door.