Selecting a Garage Door Material

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Garage doors come in many types and styles, including the residential and the commercial. In addition, each style of residential garage door can come in different types of materials. Those materials are usually glass, steel or wood. Each material brings its own unique character to the design of the home garage door and provides differing advantages for the homeowner.

The glass garage doors are a new trend that has recently emerged alongside the modern style garage door, which emphasizes boldness and a unique appearance. While some people may hesitate when hearing the word glass there is no reason for concern. There is a special coating that allows the extra lighting to filter into the garage while preventing strangers from seeing everything that is stored inside of it. They can be tinted into different colors and require only frequent cleaning to maintain. Nor are they fragile. These doors are framed with aluminum alloys, making them very strong and stable. They require some caution, but on the whole, are a worthwhile luxury item. Glass garage doors cost 2000-5000 dollars depending on the size, the quality and the specific make and model.

Steel doors are generally cheaper than glass, ranging between 500-1500 dollars. Their economical price and durability make them an attractive choice for the average home owner, which explains why the steel roll-up door can be seen throughout suburban America. Unlike glass, steel doors do need to be painted for protection against the elements and also require occasional cleaning with a wet cloth.

Wooden garage doors are also fairly common because they are easy to maintain and give a strong, distinctive edge to any home garage system. They require more maintenance than steel doors, for example, because they have to be weather sealed on both the inside and the outside to prevent cracks. Their prices can vary widely, partly because there are different values to the wood used in making them. Many cost between 2000-5000 dollars, similar to the glass garage doors, although cheaper models exist at closer to 1000 dollars.

When selecting what material to have in new garage doors, consider all the costs and benefits to each. Steel doors are the cheapest and most common, and can be easily painted to match any house. Wood and glass garage doors are more expensive, but give a more distinctive and unique appearance. The buyer should also consider how much maintenance they wish to perform as each material has different service needs.