Garage doors are typically both the largest moving object and the largest single visible building component, used on the exterior of the home (other than brick or siding). Due to size and the usage frequency (often used more frequently than the entrance door), it is important to purchase a garage door that is attractive, with options that can accent your home.

More importantly, however, a garage door should provide durability, security, insulation value, and should be safe to operate—year-in and year-out. While inexpensive, non-insulated or partially-insulated doors may look good from the outside, but they can wear-down quickly and, in effect, become a safety hazard. Ultimately, these types of products will not provide the key benefits of durability, security or insulation (R-value) of an Upwardor®Stylistic door.

Wood garage doors are a product of the past; steel doors are a product of the present.

Steel doors do not need to be painted, whereas wood doors must be painted and maintained to avoid warping and rotting.  Steel doors can be insulated to provide for maximum insulation (R value). Wood doors are not insulated. Manufacturers of steel doors warranty their products for longer (Lifetime Limited) timeframes than manufacturers of wood doors, whose warranties are much shorter (1 to 3 Years).  In addition, steel garage doors have more glazing and design options than do wood garage doors.

Upwardor® residential and commercial doors can be purchased and/or installed by an authorized Upwardor® dealer/distributor. To find an authorized dealer/distributor in your area, please go to the Contact Us link section of this web site.

Yes, in most cases, you do require the skill and experience of a professional installer. We believe that the installation of residential and commercial garage doors is extremely technical and beyond the skill sets of most do-it-yourself handymen and handywomen. As well, it can be quite dangerous for an inexperienced installer to dabble in, since there are many intricate parts to a door and the spring system, in particular, is quite heavy. If a spring is wound improperly, an installer could hurt himself/herself. Therefore, as a safety precaution, we suggest hiring professional installers for both residential and commercial applications. In this way, the individuals will have been properly trained to measure, order, install and remove the existing door, if necessary.

With respect to residential doors, the door size is identical to the size of the finished opening (Width-x-Height). Contact us, if necessary and we can send you a chart detailing all of the minimum requirements. If you use a professional dealer/distributor, ask a representative to determine this measurement for you. With respect to commercial doors, the door size can be the same as the finished opening or with a preferred slight overlap (width x height).

Because commercial doors are typically larger and more complicated than the typical residential door, we strongly recommend using a professional installer, only.

Yes, Upwardor® can customize both our residential and commercial doors to virtually any size (width x height).  However, if you are in the planning stage, we recommend designing the opening and door size to a standard size, as this may result in a more economical cost.

Yes, you may paint an Upwardor® door, however, they do come in a wide variety of colours and finishes, which will accent and match most homes. See below for specifics:

Thermalex doors are available in three (3) colours – white, Brun and silver. Aluminum doors (AL-976, AL-SWD and Solalite) are available with an anodized finish. Special colours, such as black, are available upon request. The paint system used on both residential and commercial doors is intended to be a finish coat with .2 primer coat and.8 top coat. If an exact colour match is desired, we recommend purchasing a white door and painting after installation with a high quality exterior latex paint (do NOT use an oil-based paint).

Yes, if an electric operator is not used. Lock options are either a simple interior “slide lock” (warehouse lock) or an “exterior keyed lock” system which permits you to open the door from the outside. A lock is not necessary or recommended if you are using an electric garage door operator. In fact, a lock may actually cause damage to the door and the electric operator (which is not covered under the warranty), if the lock is engaged and the electric operator is activated. As with most electric operators, the Guardian Operators come with an anti-reverse system which provides security and prevents an intruder from being able to pry the door open from the outside.

Yes, springs are required when you use an operator. Electric operators merely assist with the opening and closing of a door. The spring system actually provides most of the torque to open and close the door. Doors that are not properly balanced can be dangerous and result in damage (not covered under the warranty) to the operator and/or the door.

Very little maintenance is required for Upwardor® garage doors.  However, we do recommend that you wash both the exterior and interior of your door, twice a year, using water, mixed with a ½ cup of mild laundry detergent.   Do NOT use laundry detergents which contain bleach, bleach itself, strong cleansers, or acidic cleansers, because all of these products may result in damage (not covered under the warranty) to the paint finish.