Different Garage Door Materials

People very rarely have to buy a new garage door. In fact, it's possible you might never need to replace your garage door, although if you live in your house for over ten years, the chances are that unless the door was new when you moved in, you'll have to replace it at some point. Because they're rarely replaced though, few people really know all the details about garage doors. There are actually different types of them, and garage doors are actually made out of several different types of materials. In fact, if your garage door is really old, you may not even be able to get a replacement door that is made out of the same material. New garage doors are made out of very durable materials and they're much more insulated, more secure, and will last much longer than older garage doors.

When you decide you need a new garage door, you may think you can simply pick up a wooden one. Well, actually, few garage doors are made out of wood now because newer, better materials have come along. Most garage doors are now steel. The backside of the door is covered with rigid-foam insulation that helps keep the cold and the extreme heat out of your garage. Twenty-four gage steel is the strongest, although some doors are made out of 26 and 28-ga steel. But since steel isn't very pretty to look at and probably won't match your home's décor, most garage doors have a smooth finish or are embossed with a pattern or other type of look. You can easily find a steel door with a design to match the rest of your home. Many steel garage doors are also covered with a primer or polyester coat to protect again rust.

While not in heavy use any longer, wooden garage doors can still be found if you're willing to pay a bit more and shop around. Wooden doors need more maintenance than steel doors, and you have to repaint them fairly often to keep them looking good. The warranty on wooden doors is also shorter than that on steel doors (a wooden garage door is often only under warranty for a year). One of the upsides to a wooden garage door is that you can have a custom door made out of any type of wood you like, and you can easily add details to it or repaint it every year if you want.

The final type of garage door material is the newest: plastic. Plastic garage doors are very lightweight, durable, and don't require the maintenance that wooden doors do. Plastic garage doors also don't rot or corrode, something both steel and wood doors may do. You'll find that a plastic garage door operates very quietly, doesn't fade from the sun, and often carries a manufacturer's warranty for 20 years or more.

All three materials have their pros and cons - it really depends on what kind of garage door you want. If you want the most resilient and most durable, then you should go for a plastic door. If you love the way wood looks, buy a wooden door. If you want insulated, solid doors, look into steel. It all comes down to the features you want and the look you want.