When it comes to the material of your residential garage doors, you have a few different options. The one that is the best for your garage will depend on the climate where you live, your lifestyle, what you’re using the space for, and your personal style and taste preferences. Here is a quick summary of the materials available for residential garage doors:
- Steel: Steel is the most popular material for residential garage doors, and it has many advantages. Steel is durable, low maintenance, economical, comes in varying thicknesses, and is available in many different styles.
Wood: Wood garage doors offer homeowners a beautiful, traditional, and authentic look that never goes out of style. Wood offers a natural warmth, offers more insulation than steel, and comes in many different styles. But, wood needs frequent refinishing, is expensive, and doesn’t last as long as other materials.- Wood Composite: Wood composite gives homeowners the same look as wood, but these residential garage doors are less expensive than the real thing. They also weigh less and are more durable.
- Fiberglass: Fiberglass is very versatile in design and can be made to mimic many different materials. Fiberglass is also very lightweight while still being resistant to dents. It’s also a great choice for homes in costal areas as the material holds up well against salt-water corrosion. On the downside, it’s a poor insulator, fades over time, and can crack or break in colder environments.
- Aluminum: Aluminum is similar to steel, but it’s less expensive and is a lighter material making it a good choice for extra wide double doors. However, aluminum is more likely to dent.
- Vinyl: Vinyl garage doors are very durable and are unlikely to dent or break. However, vinyl doors are only available in a limited number of designs and colors.