Driveway Sports: 4 Garage Door Features That Are Ideal For Strength & Stability

The driveway on your home is not just a place for parking. The area is also ideal for playing sports and participating in a number of recreational activities. Whether you're playing basketball, street hockey, or another sport, it's important to be aware of the surroundings. Flying balls and sports accessories can all create problems for structures like a garage door. If you love playing sports, then the garage door that you have installed should have the durability and strength to handle all of these hazards. No matter how hard you try, it can be nearly impossible to prevent a ball or puck from hitting the door. By choosing a door with the following four features, you can feel comfortable with excess playing and driveway activities.

Rubber Weather Seals

The bottom of the garage door may be one of the more vulnerable places when enjoying a variety of sports in the driveway. Flying pucks or rolling skateboards can easily chip the bottom of an unprotected garage door. Help prevent this from happening with the installation of a rubber weather seals. These seals will add a few inches of protection on the bottom of a garage door. Instead of creating structural damage, a number of sports accessories will simply bounce off the garage door and go back into play.

The installation of a rubber weather seal is not only great for sports, but it will help protect your garage during inclement weather. The seal can prevent rain or snow from entering your garage and creating dangerous flooding situations.

Plexiglass Windows

Preventing smashed glass on a garage door can be easily done with solid doors, but many people enjoy the looks and benefits of adding windows to a glass door. Instead of replacing the glass windows every month, you can prevent the sound of shattering by purchasing a garage door with plexiglass windows. These windows have a durable design that can handle slight impacts and will not crack or shatter when they are hit. A thick plexiglass is often used on a basketball hoop backboard, so it is nice to have the same type of material available for your garage door windows.

Having the windows installed can prevent accidental breaking and still help illuminate the inside of a garage with natural light. This can also help save on energy costs if you enjoy working in the garage area.

Doors Made of Steel

When choosing a garage door, you want a material that can withstand the daily impacts of sports accessories and equipment. This is why it's a good idea to purchase a garage door made of steel. A durable 24 gauge steel door can handle the wear and tear that comes with daily sport activities. The door will last for many years and is one of the strongest available for residential homes. The strength of the steel can prevent dents or scratches from accidental contact while playing a variety of sports.

Steel doors can be purchased in a number of color finishes to help match your home design and style. They also often come with an extended warranty that will ensure their durability. If a problem does occur, the door can be easily replaced or repaired.

Wind Load Garage Doors

Along with the durability of a steel garage door, extra protection can be added on the backside with wind load garage doors. These doors feature structural bars to prevent the doors from caving inward during strong wind situations. These reinforced doors can also have a huge impact while you are playing driveway sports. If a body falls or slams into the garage door, the reinforced areas can prevent the door from denting, caving in, or snapping off its hinges. While people should not be constantly bouncing off the door, it can make a huge difference when contact does occur.

As you hire garage door professionals, explaining the different sports that are played in the driveway can help the professionals consider these different features and ensure that they are available for the door designs you seek. For more information about your options for garage doors, contact a local installation company.