Image of Clopay Coachman Garage Door
Have you decided on the right garage door material yet?

If you’re looking for a new garage door, then perhaps you need help determining the right garage door material.

Here’s what you need to know:

Steel Garage Doors

Pros
  • Popular, versatile, cost effective
Cons
  • Poor insulator for heat and noise, cheap doors are usually thin

Wood Garage Doors

Pros
  • Beautiful, good insulator, durable
Cons
  • Expensive, low cost usually means less durable, requires regular maintenance

Aluminium Garage Doors

Pros
  • Affordable, versatile, light
Cons
  • Easier to dent, easier to break, not ideal for families with bikes, balls and other outdoor toys

Fiberglass Garage Doors

Pros
  • Lightweight, customizable, innovative designs
Cons
  • Can weaken and crack in cold winters, poor UV radiation protection

What should you think about?

 

1. Aesthetic

What sort of look are you going for? Is your house modern or traditional? Do you want something beautiful to look at, or does your new garage have to be functional first?

2. What size of garage?

Thinking about the size of your garage and garage door will help you to decide what will work best for you.

Do you want several smaller doors? Do you want a single swing-up garage door? Are you looking at folding doors?

3. How often will your garage door be used?

If you’re constantly in and out of your garage and use it all the time, then you’ll have some obvious requirements, which will help you choose the right material.

4. Who will use it?

If your children use the garage as much as you do then your garage door needs to be easy to use. Will they benefit from an automatic garage door opener?

5. What’s do you use your garage for?

Do you keep your classic car in there? Is there a boat? Your work supplies? A home cinema? A spare bedroom?

Depending on what you keep in your garage, you’ll want a suitable garage door.

6. Security

Again garage door security will be an important consideration, so that what lives in your garage stays there.

7. Insulation

If you’re spending time in your garage, or using it as an additional room then insulation will be important so that your garage door doesn’t leak heat.

8. Windows

You might want windows in your garage door to bring some much needed light if you’re using your garage as another room. Perhaps windows are not important if you’re simply using your garage for your cars and tools.

9. Do your homework

If you’re not sure what garage door material will be best for your needs, then why not ask friends and family about their garage doors, and read online reviews?

10. Budget

Whilst it’s never a good idea to buy things on price alone, you’ll want to have some idea of what your new garage door will cost.

Conclusion

If this has helped you determine what your new garage door material will be then why not order your new garage door today?

If you’re still none the wiser, why not Contact Us at 651-702-1420 today, and tell us what you need from your new garage door?

Posted in Garage Doors by AA Garage Doors October 7, 2016

23 thoughts on “10 Tips for choosing the right garage door material

  1. My wife and I really want to get a new garage door for our house, and I was curious about how you would choose the material. I really like that you say to read reviews online about the different materials. It would be nice to know that you are going to get the best option that will last a while.

    1. We would take a look at your home and what your expectations are for your garage door and would recommend the best type of garage door for you. The estimate is always free

  2. I loved how you talked about choosing a garage door depending on what you store in your space. My parents are planning on replacing their current door and want to make sure they find the best material to protect their cars from people and the weather. Do you know how often it is recommended to call in the pros to inspect and maintain the opening system on a garage door? I want to make sure my parents find the best person to help them take care of theirs when they get their new door.

  3. My husband and I both agree that our current garage door is out of date compared to the other ones on our street, so I’m really glad I came across this article. I hadn’t considered whether or not we would want to get a new door with windows, but it is so true that they can bring some much-needed light into a dark garage. It seems really helpful to know a lot about the kind of door you want before deciding on anything. Thank you for the helpful information!

  4. My husband and I are looking for a new commercial garage door since our last one was damaged in a storm. So thank you for mentioning that wood is very durable and also beautiful. It’s very important to us that our commercial garage door matches the rest of our house and aesthetically pleasing, so we’ll be sure to find one in wood that is both beautiful and functional.

  5. I didn’t realize that there were so many options for garage doors! I grew up with the just basic, fiberglass kind. We are now building a house and are looking for options and I’m blown away by the variety! Thank you for this amazing resource. I love the pros and cons list.

  6. It’s great to learn more about getting a new garage door. Our old wood one has cracks in it, so it’s time to get a new door. Seeing the pros and cons of each material makes it hard to choose! We don’t have a ton of outside activities, so aluminum would probably be good.

  7. your article helped me.I need to find an expert on garage door repair in Calgary to fix mine. It didn’t open all the way one day, and now there
    is a dent in it from where I hit it. Is there any way to prevent the pad from not working during
    the winter as well?

  8. I appreciate the tip to get insulation in a garage if you spend a lot of time in a garage. In deciding I would like to renovate my garage so that I can build a workshop in it, I will be sure to look into getting proper insulation. When I contact garage door companies on looking for the right doors, I’ll look for aluminum doors due to their affordability and versatility.

  9. I’m looking at getting a new garage door soon. I liked how you pointed out that I should consider getting one with good insulation so that my garage door doesn’t end up leaking heat. I like to do some woodworking as a hobby, so I spend a lot of time in the garage. I’ll be sure to find one with good insulation so I don’t get too cold during the winter months.

  10. My brother was talking to me about wanting to get some garage door services. I’m glad you talked about being able to look at garage door materials, including windows. I think that my brother would love to have some good windows, and see what a new garage door could do for him!

  11. I liked that you had mentioned that aluminum garage doors are very affordable and can be put almost anywhere. My wife and I have been thinking about getting a newer garage door for our home. We’ll have to start paying attention to materials once we can find a company that handles garage doors.

  12. I would give 100/100 for this blog.. it helps me a lot whenever I fail to find the best material and types of garage door opener then your blog provide me guidance. Thanks a lot for sharing this blog.

  13. I am glad that you mentioned figuring out what kind of aesthetic you want for your garage door. I would like to find a rustic-styled steel door to install in my home. I appreciate the tips for choosing the right kind of garage door material.

  14. It’s so great to read that you have elaborated on the right garage door materials. Upon noticing that our garage door wouldn’t close fully and forcing it to open will stuck it up, I started looking for the right materials as I want to change it. Our house is a combination of modern and traditional, so am having a hard time deciding on what kind of material should I use.

  15. I’ve been wanting to get a new garage door for my home. I’m glad you mentioned that you should look at how much your garage door will be used to see what kind you need. I’m going to have to talk to some garage door professionals and see what they think would be our best option!

  16. I liked that you included the question of who will use the garage. My husband loves to spend his time doing projects in our garage and sometimes our girls like to spend time with him there. I think that we might have to consider getting an automatic door so that there’s easier access for them.

  17. My husband and I are wanting to replace our garage door and aren’t sure what we should get. Thank you for suggesting that we should think about the size of our garage while choosing the material of the door. I’ll have to measure it and bring the measurements to what every contractor we choose to replace the door. Hopefully, we can find the best company in the are to do this for us.

  18. I am currently building a custom home and I need to choose a garage door that is safe and matches with the style of the rest of my home. I appreciate that you say to think about the size of the garage you want because I think it would be great to have two smaller doors on the garage to fit both of our cars. Also, I definitely want the door to be functional but also beautiful, so I think wooden garage doors would be great because they are beautiful and durable at the same time.

  19. I live in an older home and want to start doing some updates to it. I would love to get a new garage door because it could help my curb appeal. Something traditional and beautiful would be nice, like you said. I’ve always loved the look of wooden garage doors.

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