Wood garage doors have been around just as long as garages have been! Early carriage house doors were usually made of wood because it was the predominant building material of the time, and into the 1980s and 1990s most garage doors were still being constructed out of wood. The iconic sectional overhead garage door rose to popularity during these years, and these doors were usually made of detailed wood panels.
Nowadays, modern garage doors are likely to be made of metal – aluminum garage doors are lighter, cheaper, and easier to maintain, so for many homeowners they are the more sensible choice. For some, however, the luxury and beauty of a wooden door is more desirable than the ease of a metal door. Modern wood garage doors are impressive, and they’re one of the best ways for your home to make an impression on a passerby. A Plus Garage Doors has installed residential and commercial wood garage doors of all varieties, so we can tell you all about their advantages and disadvantages. Once you’ve learned about the subject, you can decide if a wooden garage door is right for your home.
There are a few reason that you might want to avoid wood garage doors. Firstly, they are more expensive, although you can expect to recoup most of that cost if you ever sell your home – garage doors hold value very well. Secondly, a custom-built product is always going to take longer to arrive than an “off the shelf” model, so if you’re in a rush to get a door installed you might have to put your hardwood dreams on hold. Thirdly, you have to consider the climate that you live in. Very hot or very wet climates can cause wood doors to warp or swell, bowing it. Salt in the air can also damage doors, although in all these cases special treatments can help mitigate the problem. Fortunately for our customers, Charlotte’s climate is perfect for wood doors!
Further, wooden garage doors can sometimes have insulation issues. Again, in Charlotte this is not as significant a concern as in areas with harsher weather. Lastly, wooden doors require more maintenance. Metal doors are favored because of their dependable appearance and operation, but wood doors do require occasional reapplication of their sealer or topcoat finish. Every two or three years, homeowners should take some time to maintain their wood garage door, to stop it from splitting or warping with age – this is the same sort of attention that you should pay to any wooden outdoor furniture or a deck.
So we’ve covered some reasons that you might not want a wood garage door on your home, but what about the reasons that you would want one? There are many of them, so we’ve compiled them into a handy list:
- Beautiful. Modern wooden garage doors are unparalleled in their gorgeous designs and finishes. If you want to give your home a makeover or if you’re installing a new door and want something that will POP, a wood garage door can give you an attractive appearance like nothing else.
- Customizable. When you call A Plus Garage Doors to have a custom wood garage door installed, we work with you to provide exactly the door that you’re looking for. If you have a certain design in mind, we can match it. If you want your door to match the exterior of your home, we can provide that. With a wooden garage door, you get the exact door that you want – and a door that is totally unique to you.
- Functional. Some spaces are unique, and traditional doors might not fit at all! If your garage doesn’t have a level floor, or if it is an unusual size, a custom wood door might be necessary to fit the exact specifications of your space.
- Durable. Vinyl and metal garage doors can crack or dent – all it takes is one distracted driver or excited teenager to damage your home’s primary access way! Wood doors don’t suffer from these same problems, and a dependable wooden residential garage door is more than strong enough to handle whatever your family might end up doing to it!
- Natural. Wood is a renewable resource, and a wooden garage door is an environmentally-conscious choice.
- Updatable. The wood garage doors that A Plus installs and services are made in the popular sectional overhead garage door style. This means that each panel can be removed and replaced if needed. You could have your top panel replaced with a version that has windows, for example, or if one panel is damaged, that panel can be replaced without changing the rest of the door. Additionally, wood provides a perfect surface to refinish, either with new stains, paint colors, or sealers.
- Personalized. If you have a certain species of wood in mind, a wood door is perfect for you! Some homeowners like to match the natural exterior of their home, and others like to pick a contrasting shade. Most of the doors that we install in the area are made of Cedar, Mahogany, and Douglas Fir, but of course we have many more options to fit any customer’s needs.
- Insulated. Wood is a natural insulator and larger wooden garage doors tend to have layers of insulation built into them, so either way you can count upon your garage being well-insulated. If you’re used to only having a thin aluminum or vinyl door, then upgrading to a heavier wooden door will make a world of different in your gas and electric bills!
- Affordable. Although some custom work can be among the most expensive garage doors, changing the material and type of door being installed can drastically reduce the price of a wooden garage door, bringing them within most budgets.
- Comfortable. There’s something “homey” about real wood products, and a wood garage door is no different. You might not think about your garage door much right now – in fact, you might try not to think about it! But once you have the door of your dreams, hand-picked and hand-crafted to your specifications, coming home every day will feel even nicer, and pulling into your garage will remind you of how stylish you are!
Well, what do you think? Wood garage doors aren’t for everyone, but for many homeowners a wooden door is an affordable upgrade that will serve them well for decades to come. Feel free to check our Wood Garage Doors page to read more about the products we offer, and if you have any questions about the benefits and drawbacks of a wooden door, just ask our experts in the comments below!