Many of Honest Abe Log Homes’ customers add a garage to their plan whether it is attached directly, accessed by a breezeway or constructed as a separate building. Below are examples of the variety of selections for garage doors Honest Abe homeowners have made to protect their vehicles and enhance the beauty of their home and property.
Commercially-available garage doors these days come in more designs, colors and styles than ever before. Garage doors are also available in a variety of materials.
Let’s take a closer look at these materials and see which ones would be perfect for your new garage door installation.
Wood
Of all garage door materials, wood is perhaps the most visually appealing, especially for those who seek a more traditional look for their garage door.
Aside from its warm and elegant appearance, a wood garage door also provides excellent natural insulation, having a higher inherent R-value than other materials.
If you’re eyeing a wood garage door, expect to pay more as they are pricier than other types.
Aside from the higher upfront cost, you will also have to spend more on the regular maintenance that it requires. A wood garage door will eventually rot, warp, expand, chip, or fade if you skip maintenance tasks like painting and staining it.
Wood garage doors also tend to be heavy, and the weight could put a lot of strain on your garage door opener.
Drastic temperature changes and constant exposure to moisture affect wood, which is why they are better suited for areas with mild climates.
Wood Composite
Recycled wood and plastic fibers make up wood composite garage doors, which allow you to have a garage door that bears the classic look of wood but at a much affordable price.
A wood composite door may be a lot lighter than real wood, but it’s better at resisting rotting, mold, and other consequences of constant exposure to moisture.
However, since composite wood is basically faux wood, it doesn’t really come close to the natural beauty of real, solid wood.
Wear and tear also make composite wood garage doors more vulnerable to cracking and chipping.
Steel
A steel garage door has plenty of things going for it, which is probably why the material is quite popular among homeowners and commercial building owners alike.
For one, a steel garage door doesn’t warp, rot, expand, or crack the way wooden ones do when in constant contact with moisture.
A steel garage door is also durable and will not easily dent when hit by baseballs, basketballs, and other objects that your kids may play with inside your property.
Unlike wood, a steel garage door is low-maintenance. Washing it twice a year at the very least to get rid of dirt and grime should be more than enough maintenance for it.
Steel garage doors are also easy to customize to suit your home’s architectural style.
With its lower upfront cost and ease of maintenance, steel garage doors are a more economical option, too.
Steel is susceptible to rust and corrosion, though. It’s also not a natural insulator like wood. Steel garage doors are often offered with polyurethane insulation to improve their energy efficiency.
Aluminum
Steel garage doors are heavy, and wooden ones are even heavier. Aluminum garage doors, on the other hand, are so much lighter.
Moisture also doesn’t cause aluminum garage doors to warp, rot or expand. Unlike steel, aluminum is naturally resistant to rust and corrosion. It’s also less expensive than both wood and steel.
However, aluminum is not as durable as steel. Direct impact from objects and even strong winds can dent it. It also won’t do well during a hailstorm.
Vinyl
Vinyl garage doors are lighter and more resistant to rot, insects, moisture, warping, and splintering than wood garage doors.
Surprisingly, vinyl garage doors are quite durable, too. They have flame-retardant properties and don’t easily dent after sharp impacts.
A vinyl garage door also doesn’t need much maintenance. Just hose it down occasionally, and you’re good to go.
One apparent downside of a vinyl garage door is its lack of insulation. The only way it can help with your home’s efficiency is to have a dedicated insulation installation for it.
Fiberglass
One of the most striking features of fiberglass garage doors is that it can be made to look a lot like other materials, especially wood.
However, unlike wood, garage doors made of fiberglass are incredibly lightweight. They also don’t shrink, crack, or warp, no matter what the weather.
Since fiberglass garage doors are usually semi-transparent, your garage will have more natural light.
A fiberglass garage door also doesn’t corrode or rust and doesn’t need constant maintenance.
One thing that a fiberglass garage door may be vulnerable to would be high winds. Strong enough winds can damage a fiberglass door, which can be quite expensive for you since repairing it would be out of the question. Once it sustains damage, the entire fiberglass garage door will have to be replaced.
With more garage door material options available to you, shopping for a new garage door has never been easier. Whether you’re checking out garage doors for your home or different types of commercial garage doors, always keep the qualities of the various materials listed above in mind. Consider other factors as well, from the size of your garage to the climate in your area, and you’ll have a garage door that will suit your needs best.
This article supplied by Arizona’s Best Garage Door written by Irene Trentham was prepared exclusively for Honest Abe Living.
