There are different types of materials used in the construction of a garage door. Although wood and metal have always been used, modern day manufacturers are recommending the use of fiber glass in entry doors for the house.
The main advantage of fiberglass is its lightweight feature yet strong endurance against extreme pressures. Although these doors are proven to be strong, there are instances when cracks show up on the surface. If these are not remedied immediately, you might find yourself paying a lot more money for the repair.
Repairing minor cracks on fiber glass garage doors is very easy. Here are the steps that you need to follow:

• Check the crack on the garage door and assess its extent. Deeper and longer cracks must be referred to professionals since they might need to reassess the durability of the whole section of the door. If the crack is just superficial, you can do the repair by yourself.
• Cleaning the cracked area with a soapy sponge should be the first step. The surface must be dry and free from any dust particles too.
• Using sandpaper, carefully sand and level out the crack especially the raised edges. You can also use a blade if burrs are large so you could sand them easily right after. This also applies to holes that you want to fill out and repair.
• Purchase fiber glass sheets from your local hardware and supply store. These sheets may be a little bit pricey so make sure that you just buy the amount that you need. Place the sheets over the cracks and holes and mark them. These details and markings will be necessary for you to know where to cut the sheet.
• To attach the sheet unto the garage door, a mixture of hardener and resin will be needed. Place this mixture to one side of the fiberglass sheet and place it over the area where it is needed. Make sure that the garage door opener is turned off so that the fixture will not accidentally open. Allow the resin to dry completely before sanding it out to get a level and smooth surface. Paint the area with a color that matches the panel or you can repaint the whole sheet instead.

It is a fact that maintaining exterior doors such as those in the garage and their mechanisms is very important. It is not only the actual garage doors that should be taken good care of, other parts, especially the door opener, have to be maintained as well. This mechanism plays an essential role in the swift operation of the door, especially with the automatic one. You are assured that security is in place if this part functions well.
Here are the steps on how you can maintain and check your door openers.

• Open the garage door fully through the door opener. From a distance, check the placement of the door opener as it is hanging from the ceiling of the garage. It must be straight and pointing to the correct direction. The position of the opener is very important especially if you have a new one that has photoelectric or infrared beams installed.
• Check all of the cables and brackets that are connected to the door opener. As you are inspecting them, see if there are some missing elements or metal parts that are bent. List down all of those parts that need to be replaced or those bent items that should be straightened out. Go to the store and purchase those items as soon as possible. You must not continue to operate the door when parts are broken or missing.
• Lubricate the drive that is used in your garage door.
• Grab a chunk of wood that is approximately 2 feet by 4 feet in size and place it directly in the entrance of the garage where the door will close. Turn on the garage door opener and use the remote to close the door. Newer versions of openers that use photoelectric beams and infrared lights will not close if there is an obstruction. Older models will still close but will automatically reverse once the wood is hit.
• If the door will not reverse, contact a professional to adjust the opener. It is also important to wipe the sensors of the door opener to get rid of dust and dirt.

A lot of homeowners these days use wooden or steel doors for their garages. Although these two materials are the most commonly used ones, there are those who also consider using other options.
Glass is one type of garage door material that you can find today. However, only few houses are using it because of the size of the glass needed to cover the entire opening.
Should you decide to install one, it is imperative that you get to know the advantages and other important facts about this material:

• Glass is a very unique choice for garage doors because only few are using this type of material. Glasses used in here are thicker and more durable as compared to those that are being used in windows.
• The use of glass in a garage door can allow natural daylight to enter this part of the house. This means you will be saving money in terms of electricity since you do not need to turn on your lights. Glass also creates the illusion of having a bigger space because it opens out to the outdoor area.
• People who are concerned about privacy can actually use a different type like frosted glass or tinted glass which are obviously not transparent. Many individuals dig this type of privacy feature because light can still enter the garage without being seen outside.
• If you are worried about breakage, many people use sections of glass instead of large pieces during garage door installation. This way, if one piece of glass is cracking or is broken, only that section will be replaced and not the entire door. Glasses for garage doors are thick and durable; however there might be instances when the materials would be prone to breakage.
• Glass garage doors are aesthetically very appealing but they require a lot of maintenance too. Dust and dirt should be wiped regularly from both the interior and exterior sides. Maintenance must also be done twice a year instead of just once to make sure that the mechanisms holding the glass and the door operation will be smooth.

It is an undeniable fact that residential garage doors are very important parts of the house not only for security and privacy purposes but also in terms of increasing the curb appeal of your property.
Having a high curb appeal is important especially if you are planning to sell your house in the future. It also makes your house look good even from the outside.
Luckily, there are numerous varieties of styles for your garage doors that you can find in the market these days. They look really nice without compromising function and features. With these modern garage doors, you will surely get the best of both worlds.
If you are still looking for a design that would fit your home exterior, here are some of the most popular door styles nowadays:

• Carriage House Garage Doors. Carriage style doors are definitely among the most popular styles today. In the past, these carriage doors were widely used for barns where rich people keep their horses.

Today, manufacturers have already transformed these ordinary barn- looking doors to very sophisticated garage fixtures for the home. These doors may look like a single block of wood but they can be made out of metal or fiberglass as well.

• Contemporary Garage Doors. If you are a fan of modern design and unique architecture for home exterior, a contemporary garage door will be the perfect style for you.

Contemporary doors employ modern design with different lines connected to one another.
You can choose a door made out of connected frosted glass panels, a combination of wood and steel, and even aluminum, zinc and copper doors.
Most contemporary doors that you will see are also sectional so they would fit perfectly with your existing garage door opener.

• Raised Panel Garage Doors. Raised panel doors have always been popular in North America but modern designs provide a number of good choices to homeowners.

There are more selections in color and you can even have them customized with windows to allow natural lighting into the garage.