When selecting a garage door for your home, you have two options for the material: wood or fiberglass. Both options have pros and cons, and the decision will be tailored to your preferences and personal needs. To learn more about the differences between the two, keep reading below.
Durability
One of the main things many people will consider is the garage door’s durability, as it also speaks about its security. A fiberglass door will be less expensive; however, it will be easier to break into. However, many companies now offer fiberglass doors with steel cores to reinforce security.
Meanwhile, there is the option of a wooden garage door, which is much harder to break into. Because they are sturdy and not hollow, wood is more durable than fiberglass.
Visuals
Both fiberglass and wood offer a wide range of customization options. For fiberglass, however, you get a much wider range because you can have different finishes to cover it, including a faux wood finish.
Wood will just look like wood, no matter how much you paint it. But wood in itself is a gorgeous and elegant material, so even if it does not look like anything else, it already looks good as it is.
Sustainability
Both are sustainable in their creation, but wood is the more sustainable option. Most of the time, these wooden garage doors are made from wood from a forest managed for sustainability. Plus, wood can be recycled repeatedly, so you don’t have to worry about that.
Meanwhile, fiberglass also does not harm the environment much when it comes to its manufacturing. While it uses energy, it only needs so little of it. However, it cannot be recycled, which is why wood becomes more advantageous than fiberglass if you consider its environmental impact.
Insulation
Both wood and fiberglass make excellent insulators. Wood is a natural insulator from heat and cold. Aside from its natural ability, polystyrene insulation is added in between the layers of the wooden boards to increase its ability for thermal insulation.
Fiberglass is energy-efficient because in between the outer shells, there are several layers of insulation. This gives them a lot of insulating value, even five times greater than that of aluminum doors.
Maintenance
In terms of maintenance, wooden garage doors are a little more demanding than fiberglass doors. Wood is prone to rot, termites, and weathering as compared to fiberglass doors. This means that you will have to regularly get your wooden doors maintained every few years by having them refinished.
On the other hand, fiberglass doors require little to no maintenance. You do not need to regularly refinish or repaint it to ensure that it retains its durability and security. This means that if you are looking at regular maintenance, you can probably wait a bit longer for fiberglass doors than wooden doors.
However, if a wooden door is dented or fractured, you can get it fixed by sanding and patching it. Fiberglass cannot be fixed when dented and has to be replaced completely.
Conclusion
Both fiberglass and wood garage doors have their pros and cons. You can get a fiberglass garage door with steel reinforcements if you want something cheaper but still with good security. However, a wooden garage door would be more durable, but you need to be prepared for a lot of maintenance required. It all boils down to your personal preference, but just remember what we mentioned above.
If you need a garage door service in Riverside, you can contact Garage Door Repair Riverside. We offer different kinds of garage door services, from repair to maintenance and even installation. Get in touch with us to learn more.