Choosing the Right Garage Door Material

Garage doors may be availed in a variety of materials, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is important to know your options to know which one suits your home best.

Steel and Aluminum

Steel is the most common material used for garage doors. This is because it is reasonably priced, low maintenance and durable. Design options are also numerous because it can be painted. It can even mimic wood by changing its texture. Steel garage door is a poor insulator so it is ideal if you want to save energy.  Steel panels vary in thickness. You can choose options that are more inexpensive but they may be thinner compared with the others.

Aluminum shares some properties with steel, but it is lighter and cheaper. The drawback however is that it is more likely to dent compared with thicker steel.

Wood

Traditional garage doors commonly use wood. There are different types of wood and they also vary in price. Stain-grade wood garage doors are costly but are more appealing. Wood offers more design options compared with other materials, and that include windows. It also offers better insulation but what residential garage door companies do is suggest insulated steel doors for better energy conservation. Wood requires greater maintenance compared with other materials.

You also have the option to choose wood composite, which is produced with recycled wood fiber. This is a good choice because it offers strength similar to steel and beauty comparable to wood. It can be stained and painted, and is better than ordinary wood in resisting splitting and rotting.

Aside from these widely used garage door materials, the market also offers fiberglass. They are panels that are encased in aluminum frames. They can be painted and offer higher resistance to dents compared to low grade steel. However, it is light and can easily fade from exposure to sunlight. This is recommended for use in coastal locations.