Choosing the Best Garage Door Material
Investing in a new garage door is one of the best exterior home renovations you can perform. It has the highest ROI of any renovation project and increases your property value instantly. If you’re considering a new garage door for your Irvine home, you’ll need to decide which material is best suited to your budget, your home design, and your lifestyle. Whether you’re looking into wood, steel, aluminum, or fiberglass, here are the pros and cons of each popular garage door material.
Wood
The first garage doors were made with wood, and it continues to be a popular choice for those seeking a traditional style for their garage. Wood doors are offered in a variety of styles, stains, and colors, and they can be made with or without windows. They’re a better natural insulator than steel doors, but insulated steel provides better energy conservation. Wood can also be susceptible to weather damage and termites, so they’re a more high maintenance option. They need to be regularly maintained and refinished. However, when maintained properly, wooden garage doors add a rich, traditional appearance to any home.
Steel
Steel is by far the most popular garage door material. It’s an affordable option that is durable, low maintenance, and versatile in design. Steel doors can be painted virtually any color and they are available in a variety of textures that mimic wood. There are two things to be mindful of when looking for the right steel garage door for your home: insulation and thickness. Steel is a poor insulator on its own, so if you’d like to conserve energy and reduce noise, choose an insulated steel door option. You should also take note of how thick your steel garage door choices are. Low-cost doors are likely to be thinner, meaning that they won’t stand up as well to impact. Not all steel garage doors are created equal, so even if you’ve decided that steel is the material for you, pay close attention to the details as you browse for the perfect new garage door.
Aluminum
Aluminum is an alternative to steel that is lighter in weight, but also much easier to dent. However, it is resistant to rust and other forms of wear, making it a fairly low maintenance option. Aluminum doors are generally more costly than steel, but this varies depending on the quality of the aluminum door you purchase. Aluminum comes in a range of different finishes, including a faux wood texture.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass has recently become an increasingly popular option due to its contemporary appearance. New construction homes often choose fiberglass to best complement an ultra-modern design. Fiberglass panels are encased in aluminum frames, giving them a more industrial appearance. They offer greater resistance to dents than thin steel, but they are very light and a poor insulator. One benefit of fiberglass, however, is its resistance to saltwater corrosion, which makes it an ideal choice for coastal homes.
Vinyl
Vinyl garage doors are a great option for households with rambunctious children around since they are highly durable and difficult to dent. They’re similar to fiberglass in their construction, but they’re much more resistant to damage and wear. The downside to vinyl garage doors is that there are few design options available, with a very limited selection of colors. If you’re willing to sacrifice design for functionality, vinyl garage doors are a good option for your home.
Whether you need help deciding on a garage door material or you have one chosen and you’re ready to install, All Right Garage Doors can help you get the job done. Irvine residents know that they can trust us to install and repair their garage doors with complete transparency and unparalleled quality. To find out more about the services we provide or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call today at (714) 726-2225.
