Top 6 Types of Garage Door Materials & How To Choose the Right One

To say that we live in a motorized society would be a massive understatement. Cars have become such an integral part of our daily lives that they now also affect our residential floor plans. It’d be difficult to find a single-family house built during the last 3 decades that doesn’t prominently feature a garage door of some sort.

With the above in mind, it’s clear that homeowners who are shopping for a new garage door in San Diego should approach this task with utmost care. More than anything, understanding the pros and cons of different materials can help ensure proper maintenance and prevent unnecessary garage door repair service calls.

In previous articles, we explored some of the most common garage door problems and took a look at how much value a garage door can add to a residential property. Now we’ll help you choose the right door for your property by discussing the 6 most popular materials used in garage door construction. Keep reading to learn more.

What materials are garage doors made of?

Like entry doors, garage doors are usually made of wood, wood composites, aluminum, steel, fiberglass, glass, or vinyl. Both faux and real wood tends to be the most popular option due to their natural, homey look.

Let’s take a closer look at 6 major materials:

Wood

The most popular types of wood used in garage doors include cedar, fir, meranti, and redwood. These doors can be factory stained or painted separately. Unlike some other materials, real wood doors require regular maintenance to prevent rot and look their best.

Wood composites

These doors usually consist of a wood frame covered with sheets of fiberboard. Higher quality composite doors have fiberboard skins of greater destiny and boast realistic overlays, grooves, and other details to simulate an authentic wood door. Their cores typically contain a polystyrene insulation filling.

Aluminum

This material has the advantage of being rust-proof and very durable. However, it isn’t as tough as steel, which makes it easier to dent. These doors come in various burnished finishes and colors, and are a great fit for homes that have modern architectures. Clear, tinted, and translucent glass panels can also be attached to an aluminum frame.

Steel

Steel garage doors are extremely sturdy, long-lasting, and require little maintenance. They can be painted to match the exterior of your home, and come in insulated and non-insulated variants. Unfortunately, they can become dented or start to corrode, especially when located in coastal regions or areas that get a lot of moisture.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass is resistant to cracking or denting, and doesn’t rust. That being said, its rigid nature means that it’s more likely to break on impact. Fiberglass comes in faux wood variants and requires very little maintenance. Although its insulating properties aren’t great, the reality is that this isn’t a huge problem if you live in a warm city like San Diego.

Vinyl

Another highly resilient option that requires minimal maintenance to look its best. Just about the only disadvantage of vinyl is that the color options for these doors are limited compared to other materials.

Where can I find a long-standing San Diego garage door repair service?

For 75 years and counting, Radford Garage Doors & Gates has been providing professional-grade garage door installation services to home and business owners across San Diego County.

Our team of certified and experienced technicians is ideally equipped to supply you with a high-quality door that’s built up to code and installed in a way that complements the rest of your property and ensures flawless operation for many years to come. Get in touch with us today.