People do not give garage doors much thought when purchasing a home. This is despite the fact that they are a prominent aesthetic feature. An issue that is often given little consideration is whether a garage door requires manual opening or is automatic. Below, we will discuss the difference in manual vs automatic garage doors, as well as their pros and cons
What is a Manual Garage Door?
As the name suggests, a manual garage door is a garage door that has to be opened and closed manually. Manual garage doors tend to be very basic doors and you usually find them in older homes.
What is an Automatic Garage Door?
Automatic garage doors are garage doors connected to a mechanism that opens or closes them. You activate the mechanism with the push of the button. Usually, builders hardwire automatic garage doors into the house. This is so a person in the garage has a button on the wall to open and close the door. Additionally, most automatic garage doors also come with a remote. The remote allows a person to open or close the garage door from the driveway or the car. Newer automatic garage doors have evolved to be Bluetooth capable thus allowing a person to open the garage door remotely via a phone app or some other smart device.
Manual Vs Automatic: Maintenance
One reason why homeowners opt to install a manual garage door versus an automatic one is maintenance. If a garage door is getting regular use, then there will be normal wear and tear on the track, springs, etc. Since automatic garage doors have more complex parts, such as a motor, they need more maintenance to ensure it is working properly.
Manual Vs Automatic: Convenience
A reason a homeowner would prefer an automatic garage door opener is for the convenience. Automatic garage door openers allow easy access in and out of the garage without any physical assertion. This is preferable in places like Florida where inclement weather or extreme humidity is very common, especially during the summer months. This convenience allows people to avoid the discomfort of getting wet or too hot.
Manual Vs Automatic: Protection and Safety
Manual doors potentially offer better protection from intruders because hackers cannot access them. Furthermore, manual doors can be fastened or secured without fear of harming any of the mechanisms to the door. On the other hand, automatic doors have built-in safety protections that prevent the door from closing on any person, animal, or object that might be in the way.
Manual Vs Automatic: Cost
Manual doors are cheaper to install and maintain, thus a person on a budget should consider them as an option. There are plenty of automatic doors on the market that will not break the bank, however, so it might make sense to look into a budget-friendly option. At the end of the day, the type of garage door installed will fall to the preference of the homeowner, however, if you plan on selling your home in the future, most potential buyers prefer to have an automatic garage door option.
