Detroit garage doors and their openers provide entry and exit for one of your most important material possessions: Though Detroit homeowners rarely need to be convinced of the value of their automobiles, keep in mind that unsecured garage doors are one of the commonly exploited points of access for home intruders. Here are some of the basic considerations to look at when you determine it's time to replace your garage door or garage door opener in Detroit. When you submit a request to ServiceMagic, we'll put you in touch with several local Detroit-area contractors who, along with providing you quality workmanship, can help you determine which system is right for you and your home.
Detroit Garage Door Opener: Safety and Operation
Any responsible discussion about garage door openers must start with safety. It's rare, at this point, to have missed the cautionary tales of children that have been crushed by garage doors and adults who have lost limbs or been paralyzed. Unfortunately, the only reason these dangers are still present is that homeowners don't have the financial resources to install modern garage door openers with the latest safety features. It's not uncommon to find a home in Detroit with a garage door opener that's 10 or 20 years old or even older. These garage door openers should be replaced whether they've fallen into disrepair or not. More importantly, once they do begin to show signs of wear, prompt action is required to avoid the nightmare scenario.
Detroit Garage Door Opener Design
The three main types of automatic garage door openers are chain, belt, and screw-driven openers. Chains are the old-fashioned kind, although newer models are completely safe and reliable. The major disadvantage is that metal chains can be quite a bit noisier. While belt and screw-driven models are considerably quieter, they are also considerably more expensive. Screw-driven models have the added benefit of being stronger and are frequently installed in combination with a new, heavier garage door. A high-quality wood garage door with a screw-driven opener will give you a beautiful door that also provides increased home security.
Finally, you'll need to figure out how you'll operate your automatic garage door opener. Keypads, keyless devices, remote-controlled, and computerized opening mechanisms are among your choices. Each has varying levels of technology, uses, and costs. For remote-operated openers, be sure to get a model with rolling frequencies to protect your home from unwanted intruders. Computerized openers are operated from a remote location such as your place of employment and are often used in conjunction with a home monitoring system/service. They are particularly popular for homeowners who have common visitors, such as a lawn service, house maid, or nanny. These openers will allow you to let visitors in from work without sacrificing your home security.
Types of Garage Doors in Detroit, MI
- Wood Doors: Strong and beautiful, the one knock against wood garage doors is that they can warp and eventually no longer fit the tracks of garage door hardware.
- Metal Doors: Aluminum and steel are your options here. Steel is even stronger than wood and newer models have finishing that improves their looks. Aluminum is cheaper and easy to install and still meets most residential needs.
- Fiberglass Doors: Similar to aluminum in both weight and cost, fiberglass doors actually have aluminum frames. In fact, the only difference is that fiberglass eliminates salt-air corrosion and translucency issues of some aluminum doors.
Cost of Detroit Garage Door and Garage Door Opener Installation
Needless to say, a computerized garage door opener isn't cheap. It's not uncommon to pay as much as $2,500 for this type of system. Simpler (and more popular) types of openers tend to run from $100 up to about $1,000. In Detroit, garage door openers have an average cost of $350. Garage doors themselves tend to be a bit more expensive. A common price range for a new garage door is anywhere from $500 to $1,500, depending on material, size, and design.

Marcus Pickett is a professional freelance writer for the home remodeling industry. He has published more than 600 articles on both regional and national topics within the home improvement industry.