Garage Door Installation

Garage doors primarily come in two different utility styles. Either an insulated garage door with both the inside and the outside having a metal skin—a sandwich steel door—or a non-insulated door with the inside open—a steel pan door.

Steel pan doors can have an insulated backer and we often refer to these garage doors as the “economic workhorse”. Typically, the single-layer, pan doors are lower in price point with less focus on quiet operations. They can be louder and yet very effective for storage sheds or detached garages where warmth is not important.

Sandwich garage doors run very quietly and, generally, these overhead doors are installed with nylon ball bearing rollers, which helps make sure the operations are even quieter. For homes where the garage is attached, insulated sandwich steel garage doors are the way to go. Insulated doors can gain an R-18 or even an R-26 insulative rating which makes a dramatic difference in the temperature and energy control of your home.

Both of these door models can then be dressed up with multiple exterior design options, colors, prints, hardware, windows, and more.

You really want to visit a Design Center (like Kooler Garage Doors in Gunnison or Grand Junction) to explore the aesthetic design options—and first decide on the utility design. Do you want warmth and insulation that runs quietly? Or the economic workhorse?

There have been many variables in the supply chain of all products and industries, and the garage door industry has not been missed.

With that said, our main garage door manufacturer is Raynor Garage Doors – a U.S.-based manufacturer with factories in Illinois. Depending on the model, color, and design, we are seeing lead times from 3-12 weeks. It’s quite the spread! What we don’t know is the actual lead time, and we don’t know this until we order the door(s).

Oftentimes, colors, such as charcoal or auburn, can run a little slower than others. But it really does change week by week.

The best thing to do is to get an order together before you think you need to close up openings or replace a door. It appears that the supply chain is improving, though we don’t really know what to expect just yet.

And occasionally we have doors in stock that may meet design qualifications which would shorten the lead times significantly!

If you are replacing an existing garage door, then all we need from you at the time of our garage door installation is a clean garage.

This means personal items, vehicles, and shelves are to be removed and out of the way from the sides, middle, and front of the garage. This way we can access the door systems fully and have the freedom to move longer pieces and our ladders.

If this is for new construction, the above still remains. We need space and items cleared from the garage. In addition, we need to have solid anchor points which we refer to as “goal posts”. This includes a full piece of wood (1×4 or 1×6 boards) running the full length of the door on both sides and up to the ceiling with a full board coming across.

We are so grateful to all the customers that entrust us with their garage doors. We celebrate with you. It’s a big deal to get a new garage door and opening system — it’s exciting.

On the overhead door itself, we will always have a heavy-duty rubber bottom seal—the standard seals that come with most doors don’t cut it when we have melting snow and ice that have the potential to freeze the door to the ground. Doors that freeze shut are strained when opened, increasing wear and tear.

We also come back after 6-12 months to perform a courtesy inspection of the overhead door and all systems to make sure anything that may have settled is in complete alignment.

And finally, you’re in the club. We are here to take care of your home long term.

This is the golden question, but honestly, it is really difficult to say.

There are so many options and styles available that can meet specific needs for a home and homeowner that it’s not worth quoting any pricing without knowing all the details and context.

We can “ballpark” doors coming in around $1,500-$5,000 for single-car garage doors—and that truly is a wide range that does not capture every option.

Our focus at Kooler Garage Doors is to work closely with homeowners to determine their true needs and desires – and then put together the ideal package of looks and systems to attain those goals.

Garage door customization options are just about unlimited.

Direct from our manufacturer, we can explore custom paint colors, multiple window options and locations, and decorative hardware.

And from the Kooler Garage Doors shop, we’ll build anything you can imagine.

Our Design Centers (located in Gunnison or Grand Junction) are built specifically to explore the options. We have a few custom overlay and manufacturer options hanging so you can look and feel a few ideas and get the creative juices flowing. Then we can design with you.

The sky is the limit when it comes to custom garage doors and this happens to be a passion and specialty of Kooler’s.