Garage doors play a crucial role in safeguarding our homes. As the largest opening in many residential buildings, they’re an essential component of the physical barrier that stands between the inside of a home and everything outside of it.
Here, we’ll take a closer look at the elements that make up a building’s outer structure, along with the critical role garage doors play in fortifying a home. Then, we’ll identify one type of garage door that offers next-level protection, as well as many other benefits.
Understanding Your Home’s Protective Elements
The outer structure of a building performs the vital function of separating and protecting its interior elements from exterior elements. It’s also responsible for maintaining a comfortable and controlled indoor environment.
A building’s protective structure includes the following components:
- Walls
- Roofing
- Foundation
- Flooring
- Windows and doors, including garage doors
- Insulation
- Air and vapor barriers
- Weatherstripping and sealing
Together, these components perform three basic functionalities:
- Providing structural support that fortifies the building against internal and external forces
- Controlling the flow of air, heat, water, and condensation between the indoors and outdoors
- “Finishing” its appearance without compromising the other two functionalities
Viewed through this lens, it’s obvious that these building enclosure elements impact many aspects of a home’s performance, including safety and security, energy efficiency, indoor air quality, comfort, durability, longevity, and aesthetics. In fact, a high-performing outer structure is the single-most effective way to reduce a home’s thermal needs, according to the International Energy Association (IEA).
On the other hand, any damage, deterioration, or gaps in a home’s outer structure can compromise its performance and lead to issues, such as water damage, heat gains and loss, noisy environments, and more. Factor in the threats associated with everything from extreme weather to unwanted intruders, and the value of cannot be overstated.
It follows that homeowners should be mindful of the building structure’s condition in order to proactively address any necessary repairs or beneficial upgrades. Proper maintenance and regular inspections are essential to ensure the various structural elements remain intact and effective in protecting the building and its occupants.
The Role of Garage Doors in a Fortifying Your Home
While walls and roofing systems may be the first components that come to mind when we think of the outer structure of homes, windows and doors are also integral. As intentional openings between indoors and outdoors, they have special considerations—and are also uniquely vulnerable.
This brings us to garage doors.
In many cases, garage doors are a home’s largest opening. As such, their contribution to protecting the interior of your home should not be underestimated. Inferior and poorly performing garage doors can lead to the following issues:
Extreme weather impacts: Garages are susceptible to the elements—especially during severe weather events such as hurricanes, tornadoes, or powerful storms. To prevent property damage and protect people and belongings, they should be able to withstand strong winds, flying debris, and other impacts.
Security concerns: Garage doors are an access point for unwanted intruders. Because weak doors can be easily breached, they give criminals direct access to the rest of the house.
Energy efficiency: Temperature fluctuations that occur within the garage affect the overall energy efficiency of the home. Older and low-performance garage doors are associated with energy losses, increased utility bills, and a higher carbon footprint.
Noise: Non-insulated and poorly sealed garage doors allow outside noise to infiltrate the living areas thereby disturbing peace and tranquility at home.
How Impact Garage Doors Mitigate Building Vulnerabilities
Impact garage doors have transformative potential when integrated into your home’s outer structure. Designed to withstand a range of challenges, they offer a host of benefits to homeowners, including the following:
Unmatched strength and durability
Constructed with robust materials like aluminum and multiple layers of glass, impact windows, doors, and garage doors are resistant to impacts and forced entry attempts. Additionally, modern impact garage doors feature heavy-duty but lightweight trusses and track systems for additional strength without sacrificing aesthetics.
Weather resistance
Engineered to meet rigorous building codes, impact garage doors can withstand strong winds, flying debris, and heavy rain, effectively protecting the interior of the garage and the home from damage during storms.
Energy efficiency
Impact garage doors come with sophisticated insulation features, which helps to regulate the temperature within the garage. This improved thermal efficiency not only reduces energy costs, but also enhances the comfort of adjacent living spaces.
Noise reduction
Thanks to enhanced sealing and insulation, impact garage doors reduce noise infiltration to create more peaceful living environments. If you have noisy neighbors or your home is located on a busy street, this is particularly beneficial.
Insurance savings
Because many insurance providers recognize the added security, protection, and resilience offered by impact garage doors and other impact products, they offer potential premium discounts.
Longevity and low maintenance
Built to last, impact garage doors require minimal maintenance over their lifespan. They offer homeowners years of trouble-free use without constant concerns about repairs and replacements.
Curb appeal
Today’s customizable impact garage doors and windows are available in a range of styles and designs that complement and enhance a home’s existing architecture. For example, a garage door with a window can uniquely improve the look of your property while offering other benefits, such as more natural light.
In sum, an impact garage door checks all the boxes when it comes to the three functions of a building’s outer structure: It provides critical structural support, helps with controlling the flow of the elements between indoors and out, and contributes to a home’s overall appearance.
Ultimately, an investment in an impact garage door is an investment in the strength of your home—and in the safety, security, affordability, comfort, resilience, and aesthetics of your home.
