Aluminum, Metal, and Wood Garage Door Pros and Cons
The advantages and disadvantages of garage door materials may all depend on how much a homeowner or business owner is willing to pay, what will be stored in the garage, and the climate the garage is located in. Aluminum garages are light in weight, resistant to corrosion, and inexpensive. Metal or steel garage doors are one of the most popular types on the market and for a good reason. There are numerous benefits to steel garage doors. Lastly, garage doors used to be made of wood only, and while this timeless look is still available on the market, it is costly. Judging from the pros and cons found in this article, determine what type of garage door is best for your purposes.
Pros of Aluminum, Metal, and Wood Garage Doors
Below is a list of the pros for aluminum, metal or steel, and wooden garage doors.
- Aluminum garage doors are light, making them easier to install and less strain on the garage door opener, torsion spring, and other parts of the garage door mechanism. In addition, being lightweight makes aluminum garage doors easier to open manually if the opener suddenly stops working or the power goes out.
- Aluminum garage doors do not rust and perform well in coastal environments.
- Aluminum garage doors are paintable and come in numerous different styles.
- Steel garage doors are durable and do not require a lot of yearly maintenance.
- Steel garage doors are energy efficient because they are generally insulated with polyurethane or polystyrene, which helps keep heat in and the cold out, or vice versa. This is important if a garage door is located near a living space.
- Steel garage doors are affordable, considering they are less than wooden garage doors. Customized wooden garage doors can cost three times the amount of a customizable steel garage door.
- Wooden garage doors are much more durable than the previous two options when it comes to being hit or scraped. When they do end up being dented or scratched, the repairs are much easier than an aluminum or steel garage door.
- Wooden garage doors are timeless and considered upscale. These garage doors can be customized to any style home, and customization options are endless.
- Wooden garage doors are environmentally friendly. Wood is renewable, which makes it more environmentally friendly than the other two options. In addition, unlike another type of garage door, panels are easily replaced when damaged.
Cons of Aluminum, Metal, and Wooden Garage Doors
- One of the disadvantages of aluminum garage doors are they are easily dented, and once this happens, it is difficult to repair them.
- While steel garage doors are not easily dented or scratched, when they are, they should be repaired immediately to prevent any type of rust.
- Wooden doors require more maintenance than the other two types of garage doors, and choosing the type of wood used for the door is important to what type of climate a homeowner or business owner lives in. In addition, wooden garage doors are overall more costly than the other two options.
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