Garages are a vital ingredient to make your home convenient to a greater extent. In addition to providing a space for safely parking your vehicles, garages also provide plenty of utility. Garages provide a safe space for storing the possessions that do not fit in your home and also allow you to do workshop projects.
Choosing the right garage door for your home is among the most significant decisions that you need to take for your home and can take up overhead cost. Even though garage doors can be slightly expensive in comparison to other home materials, they are an investment that can last for several years with proper care.
The most popular choice for homeowners is to decide between steel or wooden garage doors. Both the materials are exceptional when it comes to their functionality in a garage door. This article will help you identify the difference between wooden and steel garage doors and deciding which material better fits your needs.
1. Appearance
Although garage doors consisting of different materials are available, wooden and steel garage doors are the most obvious choices of homeowners. The original material for making garage doors are wood due to its natural physical properties.
The primary reason that people prefer wood for their garage doors is due to their aesthetic appeal. You can easily customize your wooden garage door for beauty and elegance. Thereby you can better the overall appeal of your home, which can even result in increasing your property value.
You can also modify the color, size or looks of the wooden garage door to match with the architecture of your home as wooden doors are custom-built and unique. If you are replacing an old garage door with a wooden garage door, then you can notice that the attractiveness of your home instantly moves up.
If you have concerns about the price of wooden doors being more expensive, there are steel doors that mimic the appearance of wooden doors that you may use instead. The natural beauty of wood, along with excellent craftsmanship, makes a perfect match for older homes with traditional architecture.
Steel doors do not allow the same luxuries of hand-crafted designs as wooden garage doors. Factories manufacture the steel garage doors, and hence, the doors arrive in definite proportions and designs.
Steel garage doors are also prone to rust and dents over time, which will diminish their appeal. However, steel doors are ideal for homes that have modern architecture with plenty of metals and glasses.
2. Installation
Wooden doors are heavy and require automatic garage door openers for ensuring safety and ease of usage. Correct installation of the cable and motor is vital to ensuring the proper functioning of garage doors. Although you can install the garage door as a DIY project, you may void the warranty in the process.
You need to select garage door repair services that provide professional garage door installation services for hassle-free assistance. On the other hand, steel garage doors have lighter weight and are easier to install. You can also choose from manual or automatic steel garage doors.
3. Maintenance
Wooden garage doors require regular maintenance to protect the wood from the elements and maintain in working order. You will need to sand and paint the door at least once every two or three years. Since wooden garage doors are heavier, a malfunctioning torsion spring requires immediate servicing from a professional.
You will need to apply protective coating on top of the wood to prevent moisture from seeping in and to prevent termites from damaging the wood. However, the natural grains and patterns on the wood render the scratches and mark invisible, and the wooden door remains attractive.
Steel garage doors are incredibly durable and do not require constant maintenance, as in the case of wooden doors. Steel doors may get rust if water penetrates the outer coating of paint. Steel doors can also get dents and scratches, especially if the thickness of the steel is thinner.
4. Insulation
Insulation is a major criterion in choosing garage doors for many people. Steel garage doors are better at energy conservation than wooden garage doors as they can remain airtight. So, if you have a temperature controlling equipment at home, steel garage doors may be the better option.
Wooden doors are better insulators due to the physical properties of wood. Wooden garage doors that have insulation are available nowadays with layers of polystyrene insulation in between layers of wood.
Conclusion
If your garage door is not functioning correctly, it can become an inconvenient experience and also a safety hazard for yourself and the rest of your family members. Garage doors are available in a variety of materials, each with their advantages and drawbacks.
Deciding to repair or replace your malfunctioning garage door can become an outrageous dilemma for homeowners. The reason for the decision being tough is due to the considerable cost of garage doors and the difficulty in choosing a garage door with suitable materials.
Garage doors are the gateway to your garage, and can a proper garage door can make your life much more comfortable. Garage doors function as a secondary entrance for your home and is an essential asset for every good house. Being larger than conventional doorways, garage doors allow for natural movement and transportation of objects into or out of your home.
Author Bio:
Ross Geller is a working Designer and passionate writer. He enjoys writing about the latest home decor and lifestyle trends all around the globe. She has been working with Elite Garage which provides garage door services for some time now. Through his writing, he hopes to influence as many people as possible to help build a beautiful home and space.
