Just because a garage door looks like it’s made from real wood, doesn’t necessarily mean it is. In this blog post, we’ll be comparing traditional wood garage doors and steel garage doors with composite overlays to help provide you with a better understanding of these two popular options for achieving the wood-look.
Wood Garage Doors
In the past, the only way to accomplish the wood-look was to opt for a garage door that was made out of real wood. Traditional wood garage doors have a classic look that has maintained popularity over the years, not only because of the general visual appeal, but because of its ability to complement many different styles and types of homes. There are two standard styles of wood doors to choose from: wood panel doors and wood flush doors with insulation.
The biggest disadvantage of wood garage doors is that they require a decent amount of continual maintenance. Without properly caring for your wood door, it will quickly start to deteriorate and look less attractive. For example, if you don’t repaint your wood door from time to time, it will begin to rot. While these doors are still available, they should only be purchased by those who are ready to handle the maintenance and upkeep necessary to maintain the wood.
Eventually, the steel door became available as a lower maintenance alternative to the traditional wood door. Unfortunately, homeowners quickly began to grow tired of this type of door because they all looked the same. Eventually, steel doors became available in a variety of styles, including options for two different kinds of insulation and the use of composite overlays. This development not only granted the consumer access to more unique and customizable options, but it provided the industry with a more favorable alternative to traditional wood doors.
Steel Garage Doors with Composite Overlays
Nowadays, steel garage doors with composite overlays provide a great alternative for achieving the wood-look without the use of actual wood. Composite overlays are materials that are attached to the exterior of the door to make the steel door resemble a classic wood door. Here are some of the advantages to this type of door:
- It requires little maintenance, yet has the look of a classic wood door, giving you the best of both worlds.
- It comes in a variety of styles, colors, and options, allowing plenty of room for customization.
- While it may have a classic look, it’s a modern steel door at heart. This means that it has a motor and functions overhead, which makes it much easier to operate than an older swing door. This factor is especially important in areas that get a lot of snow, like ours, since that can make manually opening an older door even more difficult.
- Last, but certainly not least, it can be insulated.
Steel garage doors with composite overlays offer countless options to make your house stand out and ultimately utilize durable, low-maintenance material that continues to grow in popularity over time.
We encourage you to contact us if you’re interested in learning more about the product lines we offer, or if you have any questions on selecting the door that’s the best fit for your preferences and needs. You can also click the garage door link on our website at omahadoor.com.
Very well written! I loved the whole writing and the idea behind this blog. Thank you for sharing such informative content.
Well explained about Garage doors, but in prevailing time steel doors are more preferred doors for the safety of the garage it always be strong in comparison of wooden doors and it does similar duties.
The point of the post was to show how to get a steel door with the look of wood. So you point about steel doors are correct. However there is no harm in making your steel door look different.
How does the lifetime of a steel/composite door compare with that of steel alone? Are there other things to consider in a steel/composite door when compared to a steel door? For example weather.
The warranty is the same for a plain steel garage door or a steel door with composite overlays. Either door will seal out the weather the same. The main difference is in the appearance. The composite overlays allow you to customize your door to the look you desire and have a door that doesn’t look like ever door in the neighborhood. You can always call in a ask our salespeople more questions or visit our showroom. 402-733-6440 Our showroom is located at 4665 G St Omaha Ne.
What is normally done to preserve the finish of a composite type wood overlay garage door? Do you just seal it every year or two? If so what type of sealant?
Normally the composite overlays require no maintenance since they have no wood in them. They just look like wood. You can paint them if you wish but must follow the manufactures painting instructions to make sure you use the correct type of paint.
Hi Jim. Appreciate the article. I would recommend anyone interested in Clopay’s composite overlay doors such as Canyon Ridge read Clopay’s maintenance requirements. There is a disconnect between the “low maintenance” Clopay touts in their marketing materials and the reality they explain on pages 28-29 in the link below. Customers should be prepared to apply a urethane top coat every two years. And, as best I can tell, Clopay nicer steel doors have a limited lifetime paint warranty vs 5 yrs on the composite overlay doors.
https://literature.clopay.com/pdf_files/INST-4150077_EN.pdf
Thanks again for the great article and for helping to get this information out to customers.
Wood doors look beautiful and add grace to your home. You have a wide range of options to choose from in wooden doors, but they are more expensive and challenging to maintain, and difficult to install. At the same time, the steel doors are durable, strong, long lasting, affordable, and easier to install. So considering these factors, one should choose steel doors.
Great article comparing wood and steel garage doors! It’s fascinating to see how advancements in materials and design can offer homeowners the classic wood look without the high maintenance. For those considering a blend of durability and aesthetics for their homes, especially in unique climates like ours, consulting with metal builders in Arizona can offer innovative solutions tailored to your needs.