The benefits of wood and steel doors

There are many great rivalries around: Coke vs Pepsi, Tavens vs Steelers and of course Steel garage doors vs Wooden doors. Like all great rivalries, there are many dedicated people on both sides of the issue.

Wood Garage Door Overview

Wood has been used to build garage doors since the Romans used it to store their carriages, and is still one of the most popular materials, especially in high end homes due to it’s elegance and style. And despite the availability of alternatives such as steel and fiberglass wooden doors are more popular.

Wooden garage doors are usually custom or semi-custom built, which adds to the costs since they’re not mass-produced in a factory. Because of that they can be designed to perfectly match the look and feel of your home.

Steel Garage Door Overview

Steel doors are usually factory-built, meaning they come pre-assembled. Because of this, the color, design and size options are limited, so you also won’t find steel garage doors in non-standard sizes. Thanks to this they are much more affordable and and they require less maintenance.

Style

Winner: Wood

Having a wooden door will dramatically improve the curb appeal of your home,  Some people have gotten wood just because their garage faces the street. A wood garage door can increase the property value of your home as well.  On the other hand, since wood garage doors tend to be on the higher end of the price range, there are now many steel doors that mimic the look of a wooden door that you could also consider if budget is a concern for you.

From an investment standpoint you really can’t beat steel, but when it comes to overall looks, you have to go with wood While you can fabricate the look of wood with faux wood or Steel Clopay carriage style doors, a metal door isn’t going to look as elegant and refined as it’s wooden counterpart. Steel may have the advantage in maintanance, but you can’t beat wood when it comes to style.

Call for steel garage door installation

We say go will a steel door. For the budget minded and overall less headache it will cause.

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Maintanance

Winner: Steel

Steel doors require less maintenance than wooden doors. they’re pre painted with baked-on coating. They may usually require an annual cleaning of the outside of the door, but all you need is some detergent and warm water. There is a common worry that a steel door may rust, but that only happens on cheaper doors, and in those cases the rust can be easily removed. In most cases, steel garage doors are finished with a polyester coating that will prevent your steel door from rusting.

By Contrast, wood doors are unfinished and need to be primed, painted or stained on all sides of the door upon delivery. When painting a door, you only use exterior latex or oil based primer and paint, and you’ll need to refinish or paint the door every few years. In addition, the joints in wooden doors may gradually begin to flex with usage. In fact a majority of our maintenance request are with wooden door problems.

Steel garage door pros

They’re Affordable – Metal garage doors are far less expensive than wooden doors. They’re a great option for those on a tight budget.
Easier to maintain – You’ll never have to paint, sand or stain a metal garage door. All they need is some good detergant and a hose.

Metal Garage Doors Cons

They can rust – The cheaper doors are prone to rusting, especially in  milder and humid climates
Prone to dents – They can take a baseball to the face, but the dent will show.
Fewer design options – Because steel doors are factory built,  they have limited size, design and color options. You won’t be able to customize the garage door to match the style of your home.

Wood garage door pros

They’re Attractive – Being more expensive they definitely give off an elegant and luxurious feeling to the house.
They’re Customization – Wooden doors can be customized to match any house thanks to a wide variety of looks, designs and colors and can be made in standard and non-standard sizes as well.
Won’t dent – Wooden doors won’t dent the way steel doors do. A wooden door is less likely to be damaged if your kid hits it with a baseball or you tap it with your car.

 Cons

More expensive – Wooden garage doors are pricier than steel doors, much pricier. The materials are more expensive, and since they’re usually custom  built, it shows in the price.
Require more maintenance – Without proper maintenance, wood can warp, rot or chip . At a the very least, you’ll need to repaint, sand and stain wooden garage doors every few years. They are also susceptible to damage from moisture and pests such as termites.