Garage Door Replacement: Steel Gauge by Collection, 24 to 27
Steel gauge is the thickness of the metal skin on a door, and it runs the opposite way from what you would expect: a 24-gauge skin is thicker than a 27-gauge one. Thicker steel generally takes a hit better, which is why gauge is a common question in neighborhoods that get hail.
Gauge is only part of the picture, because a door with a thinner skin and a foam core can be stiffer than a thin single layer. Here is what each collection actually publishes.
Planning a garage door replacement? This page helps you narrow the choice. For how a replacement works from measure to install, see our garage door replacement service. If a broken spring is what brought you here, start with garage door spring repair.
Gauge by collection
Ankmar Choice and Deluxe, C.H.I. Minimalist, and the aluminum lines (Amarr Horizon, Doorlink Premium Aluminum, C.H.I. Full View Aluminum, Northwest Door 7500 and 7800) do not list a steel gauge. The Northwest Door Therma Tech 3500 lists galvanized prepainted steel without a gauge.
| Gauge | Collections |
|---|---|
| 20 | Ankmar Ambient (exterior; 20-gauge backer plates at hinge points) |
| 24 | Amarr Heritage (outer skin on all models); Amarr Classica CL1000; Amarr Northwoods NW3000 (outer); C.H.I. Raised Panel, Planks and Skyline Flush (24-gauge option); Doorlink carriage models (some) |
| 25 | Amarr Lincoln and Hillcrest (1000, 2000, 3000); C.H.I. 25-gauge options; Doorlink carriage models (some) |
| 26 | Doorlink 3610, 3620/3680, 3650, 3660 and 3700, both faces |
| 27 | Amarr Olympus, Carriage Court, Northwoods NW3138 and Lincoln/Hillcrest 3138 (both faces); Ankmar Regency; C.H.I. Shoreline; C.H.I. 27-gauge options |
Gauge versus insulation
A heavier skin and a better core are separate choices. Amarr’s Lincoln and Hillcrest 3138, for example, use 27-gauge steel on both faces and have a lower R-value (6.48) than the 3000 model in the same collection (9.05) that uses 25-gauge steel. Heavier steel is not automatically the better insulator, and the better insulator is not automatically the stiffer skin.
If hail is the worry, look at the gauge and at dents you can fix: a damaged section can be replaced without replacing the whole door when the line is still available.
The collections covered here
Amarr Heritage Collection
The Amarr Heritage Collection is a heavy-gauge 24-gauge steel garage door line in traditional raised-panel and carriage house designs.
View detailsAmarr Classica
The Amarr Classica is a steel garage door collection with carriage house and modern designs in three insulation tiers.
View detailsAmarr Lincoln Collection
The Amarr Lincoln Collection is a traditional raised-panel steel garage door in four models from a single-layer entry door to a three-layer insulated build with R-9.05.
View detailsAmarr Hillcrest
The Amarr Hillcrest is a steel carriage house garage door available in four insulation tiers, from a single-layer panel up to a three-layer build with R-9.05.
View detailsAmarr Northwoods Collection
The Amarr Northwoods Collection is a modern plank-style steel garage door with a printed horizontal woodgrain pattern on ribbed panels.
View detailsAmarr Olympus Collection
The Amarr Olympus Collection is a premium polyurethane-insulated steel garage door with R-values of 14.46 and 19.40, among the highest in residential garage doors.
View detailsDoorlink Raised Panel Collection
The Doorlink Raised Panel Collection (Model 3610) is a 3-layer insulated steel garage door with a classic raised-panel profile and an R-value of 10.25.
View detailsAnkmar Ambient Collection
The Ankmar Ambient Collection is a premium insulated steel garage door built by Safe-Way Garage Doors and sold by Ankmar, Denver's local dealer.
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