Garage Door Materials - Buyer's Guide

Garage doors come in a variety of materials. When choosing the best material for your overhead door, several things should be taken into consideration:

  • Durability
  • Personal style
  • Maintenance level
  • Budget

Popular garage door materials include steel, natural wood, and aluminum. Fibreglass, wood composite, and vinyl garage doors are also on the market. Each style has its advantages, and with the vast array of options, you will surely find the unique garage door suited for your needs!

long panel bead board

Steel Garage Doors

Steel garage doors are trendy due to their low maintenance requirements, durability, relatively low price, and the variety of available designs.

When selecting a steel overhead door, choosing the appropriate level of insulation is essential. Most steel doors offer several levels of insulation, which could help you save on utilities in the long term and dampen the outside noise.

When it comes to design, steel can be painted in any colour and can boast stamped-on grain that mimics the warm look of a wooden door.

Wood Garage Doors

Traditionally, garage doors were made of wood. This choice of material is still quite popular due to its rich, luxurious look. Wooden garage doors often come at a heftier price than steel and are noticeably heavier. Wood is well suited for traditional carriage house styles and modern looks alike.

Several types of wood are commonly used to make wooden garage doors. They include vertical clear grain cedar – the highest quality of cedar lumber available, incense cedar – a durable and relatively decay-resistant wood, red grandis – certified green eucalyptus lumber, and mahogany – an exotic wood with a stunning fine grain and a famous reddish-brown hue.

Wood garage doors require more maintenance and can be prone to rot, warping, and insect damage. Nonetheless, when it comes to elegance, wood tops the list! With a wide variety of available wood grain patterns, staining, or painting options, wood is easily customized to your liking.

With periodic maintenance and refinishing, a wooden garage door can add to your curb appeal by offering an opulent, warm style.

wood finishes

Aluminium Garage Doors

Lightweight aluminum is the perfect choice for sleek, modern garage doors. This durable, rustproof material is ideal for a low-maintenance garage door. Good quality aluminum garage doors can be more expensive than steel doors, but they offer a stunning look.

Aluminum is typically combined with glass, which can be glazed or frosted to the desired level of privacy. These modern overhead doors let light in and come in a variety of finishes to suit your home. Boasting clean, crisp lines, aluminum garage doors add a modern touch to any property.

 

aluminum grage doors

Fiberglass Garage Doors

Fiberglass resists denting, warping, and cracking but can break if hit with sufficient force. Fibreglass garage doors can be moulded to mimic wood, making it a more budget-friendly alternative to full wood while remaining impervious to insect damage. It is an incredibly light material and easy to maintain.

fibre glass doors

Wood Composite Garage Doors

Wood composite overhead doors usually consist of a wooden frame, an insulated core, and a fiberboard made of recycled wood fibres. Composite garage doors resist rotting, cracking, and splitting better than full wood doors.

Composite garage doors can be stained or painted as a durable alternative to a traditional wooden garage door. Higher-end models feature overlays mimicking the look of entirely natural wood while remaining lighter.

Wood Composite Garage Doors

Vinyl Garage Doors

Vinyl garage doors feature great resistance to denting. They are lightweight, don’t rust, and are very durable. Maintenance of the garage door consists of periodically hosing it down. The main downside of vinyl garage doors is the limited design and colour options.

Vinyl Garage Doors

Feel free to contact Advantage Garage Doors with any questions you may have regarding these popular garage door materials! Our technicians will help you select the ideal one for your overhead door, considering your style and budget.