Before you select a new garage door for your home or business, there are several factors that you need to consider. These include the color of the garage door, its aesthetic appeal, durability, and safety and security for your home or business. One essential element that people overlook is the climate. Choosing the most durable material will ensure your garage door lasts many years, even in extreme weather conditions. View Overhead Door™ Residential Garage Doors for Different Climates.
Some garage doors may work better than others, depending on where you live and what kind of weather your area experiences. To help you decide on the best garage door material for your climate, consider things like insulation, material, wind protection, and warranty.
Garage Doors for Different Climates
Steel garage doors have many advantages over other materials, including wood and aluminum, and can be a good investment for homeowners. Consider other elements when choosing your garage door.
Wood Garage Doors
Wood garage doors have a timeless look that adds natural beauty to any home’s style. They also offer greater design flexibility and curb appeal than other materials and provide better insulation than most other materials. Yet, they need maintenance. With annual maintenance like painting or staining, wood doors can last up to several decades without replacement.
Pros:
- The wood garage doors can be customized to any shape, size, and color.
- It is Simple! One of its most significant selling points is the beauty of wood and its rustic charm.
- A wood garage door can enhance curb appeal and an attractive selling point.
Residential Steel Garage Doors
Steel is the most popular material for residential garage doors because it is affordable and durable. Steel garage doors with aligned steel panels provide the strength and modern appeal to protect your home from the elements. Steel-insulated doors are heavier than non-insulated models, making them more difficult for intruders to lift open. Proper insulation will keep your garage comfortable all year round.
Pros:
- They are highly durable against harsh weather conditions.
- They are more energy efficient in the long run.
- They are low maintenance and can be managed through routine cleaning
Aluminum garage doors
Modern aluminum garage doors are lightweight and rust-resistant, making them a good choice for coastal areas where salt air can corrode other metals. Being a more affordable option, aluminum garage doors work best when insulated.
Pros:
- They have a sleek and modern look
- They are much lighter in weight, calling for standard operating mechanisms,
- They are tough against weather-related damage.
Vinyl garage doors
Vinyl is another common material for garage doors because it’s durable, affordable, requires little maintenance, and looks great. It offers good insulation and stands up well in warmer climates; it resists dents but may crack under pressure.
Pros:
- It is an incredibly cost-effective option.
- It is more convenient to clean and maintain.
- The material is incredibly durable, long-lasting, and low maintenance.
Fiberglass garage doors
A fiberglass door combines the durability of steel with the timeless beauty of wood. It’s a great option that has become more popular in recent years because it is affordable and low maintenance. Fiberglass doors are similar to aluminum but are more flexible and provide better insulation against the elements.
Pros:
- They are resistant to wrapping or shrinking, making them ideal for extreme conditions.
- They are low maintenance, and regular care is enough to maintain them.
- They allow for natural light to come in, illuminating the space.
Weather Conditions to Consider When Selecting Your Garage Door
Extreme Cold Climates
If you live in an area that gets cold in the winter and even snow, you’ll need garage doors that can handle lots of moisture, freezing temperatures, and the impact of snow at high wind speeds. So, it’s best to install a steel or wood garage door. The suitable insulation materials will also help insulate your garage against heat loss when closed.
The best option is to choose a Thermacore garage door with two layers of steel and superior insulation. This door provides maximum thermal energy efficiency and has an R-value of up to 17.50.
Heavy Rainfall
If you live where it rains often, you’ll want a garage door that won’t rust, warp, or wear down from moisture. Consider a vinyl garage door that will not suffer from wear and tear in highly wet environments. Alternatively, you can choose aluminum, which does not rust as easily as steel. Each model comes with wind load reinforcement.
For coastal areas:
Fiberglass, Vinyl, and Aluminum garage doors are ideal choices because they can help combat rust and corrosion, ensuring longevity and safety.
Even when exposed to salt, sand, and high humidity, these garage doors will not fade, dent, or break. They also come in a modern, sleek, and stylish design with wind load reinforcement options for windy coastal locations.
Extreme Heat
Heavy-duty insulated garage doors are suitable for weathering the hot summer months, high winds, occasional tornadoes, and severe thunderstorms. Thermacore Insulated Steel Doors are the best material for this weather; they are strong, durable, and well-insulated. Thermacore garage door offers two layers of steel and superior insulation, providing maximum thermal energy efficiency with an R-value of up to 17.50.
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