Choosing the right material for your garage door

Garages are an extension of our homes and therefore we want to ensure that there is a continuity of the overall design, says CBL Garage Doors. When having a garage door installed or replaced it is important to consider the material options and weigh the pros and cons of each. There are hundreds of options available in terms of colour and style, but when it comes to the material there are two basic options. Will you go with steel or will you go with wood?

Wooden Garage Doors

If your home is built with the look of being all natural then a wooden door may provide you with the aesthetics that you are looking for to keep the overall appearance. Whether you are going for the solid carriage house door style or the Haas American Traditional style, wooden doors can provide you with a nice accent to the garage.

Wooden garage doors add to the luxury of a home and its overall property value. Some considerations to keep in mind with the wooden garage door include maintenance and cost.

• Maintenance – Wood is both absorbent as well as susceptible to warping. Climate plays a large role in the probability of your wood warping/deforming. Also, the manufacturer and methodology in which the door was constructed will contribute. If you live in a climate that has constant shifts from wet climates to dry climates or if you live in a climate that has windy wet weather, a wooden garage door may not be for you.

• Maintaining your wooden garage door will mean that you will need to keep it weather treated. Scratches, dents, and exposed areas of the wood are prone to absorbing moisture. This of course is not something that is desired in any wooden product. Water absorption causes wood to expand. If left untreated exposed wet areas can form mold and rot.

• If you own a wooden garage door it is advisable that you perform regular inspections and maintenance to ensure the life of the door.

• Cost – Wooden doors are substantially higher in cost than steel doors. One of the reasons for this is that the construction of wooden garage doors takes a bit more time. Also, you are dealing with a natural material vs. a manufactured material. Finally, wooden doors are a bit more solid (of course you have paneling and such to make the weight a bit less) than the steel door. All this contributes to the cost. The upside of paying extra for the wooden door is that it does add a tremendous amount of curve appeal and does increase the overall value of your home.

Steel Garage Doors

Steel doors have become the dominant choice in garage door installation. The reason is for this is that steel doors can be customized to have the appearance of about any surface material. For example: if you want to have the look of wood but do not want to pay for a wooden door (or if you just do not want to have to deal with the maintenance) than you can get a steel door with a wooden stamp design.

Apart from the design, steel doors are constructed to last longer than wooden doors. Insulation is also generally better in steel doors than in wooden doors. Generally speaking, a steel door can be as customizable as the design of your house. The lower cost and versatility are one of the main appeals of the steel door. This is not to say that there are not considerations.

• Dents and scratches – Unlike a wooden door, dents and scratches are a bit harder to cover up on a steel door than on a wooden one. Where on a wooden door a bit of sanding and a new layer of varnish usually does the trick, a dent in a steel door is quite a different story. That being stated, it is a great deal harder to put dents in a steel door than in a wooden door. Scratches are also a major concern for a steel door. Where most people do not need to concern themselves with rust and other unwanted effects of common metals when having a steel door installed, a scratch on the door makes such damages possible.

• The mass manufactured margin – When dealing with anything that is massively produced (as most steel doors are), you have a margin of error with the design. This is very slim, but there are some common things which you may find in a steel door. One is that the size will be slightly off. This is due to a calibration issue with the manufacturing of the door. Another possibility is that the door’s drill holes are not in the proper placement. Again, such issues are not common, but it is worth having your installer inspect the door thoroughly before installation.

The choice is yours

In the end the choice is yours. You have to weigh the pros and the cons and make the decision that brings the best functionality and features to your home. If you have any questions regarding a design or material choice for a garage door please contact us. We will be more than happy to help.

James Mason is an enthusiastic writer and developer of home based construction and Diy, who also writes about many other subjects of interest.