For many homeowners in San Diego, CA, a garage door is a vital part of everyday life. This fixture not only works to protect your garage and items, but it also helps add to the overall aesthetics of your home. As with any home product, garage doors have an estimated lifespan and are constructed with different types of materials.
Garage Door Lifespan
The overall lifespan that you get out of a garage door is going to be dependent on numerous factors. By understanding some of these factors, you will be better able to influence the longevity of your garage door. The most predominant factors that are going to determine the life span of your garage door include the amount of maintenance it receives, your local climate, how often it gets used, and the material it’s made of.
Most experts will reveal that garage doors can last anywhere between 15 and 30 years with proper upkeep. Materials like aluminum and wood composites can last between 15 and 20 years, while materials like fiberglass and triple-layered steel can last up to 30 years.
Garage Door Materials
Each type of garage door material can boast its own unique look, lifespan, and maintenance needs. If you currently have a garage or are thinking of having one added to your property, you will want to ensure that you’re choosing the right material for your garage door that will match your home’s aesthetics and budget.
Steel
Steel is a very popular type of garage door material due to its ability to be painted with a topcoat to match the outside theme of any home. These doors tend to be highly durable, especially when purchased in double- or triple-layer steel. They’re extremely low-maintenance and will last between 20 and 25 years. You can even purchase them with insulation to help reduce your energy bills.
While there are many benefits to having steel garage doors, there are a couple of drawbacks that you should be aware of. Single-layer steel doors are very prone to denting. Additionally, steel doesn’t make a good insulator. If you want to keep the temperature inside your garage consistent, you’ll need to invest in insulated steel garage doors, which cost more money.
Wood
Wood is another popular material for garage doors. It offers a unique grainy pattern and is available in a ton of different finishes and styles. Different wood materials can be used to construct doors, leaving a wide spectrum of both affordable and high-end options. Wood is known to be a natural insulator, and it will work perfectly to help regulate the temperature inside your garage. Wood is also very sturdy and can withstand a good amount of damage.
While wood can provide a very unique look for any garage door, it’s important to know that it requires regular upkeep and maintenance. The wood has to be stained or painted every couple of years to ensure that it stays durable. If proper maintenance isn’t kept up on a wooden garage door, it can be susceptible to water damage that can result in bowing or even rot.
Aluminum
For homeowners who are on a budget, aluminum garage doors can be the perfect option. This material offers many of the great benefits that come along with steel doors and weighs significantly less. This is beneficial because the lifting components on your garage doors will be less stressed than with other types of doors. Aluminum is naturally resistant to corrosion, unlike steel, which makes it ideal for humid environments. It’s also very low-maintenance, only needing to be sprayed down every now and then.
While aluminum can be extremely affordable for the average homeowner, it’s important to realize that it does have some drawbacks. It’s not as durable as many other garage door materials, which means that it’s going to show dents more rapidly. It can be damaged by heavy hail or high winds.
Wood Composite
Wood composite doors are known to last anywhere between 15 to 20 years. Since they’re not made of 100% wood, they’re not as susceptible to moisture. In fact, they’re moisture-resistant and won’t shrink or expand with humidity. This makes them a great option for more coastal climates. Wood composite garage doors are lightweight and highly durable. They provide a wood-look finish without the fear of warping or rotting, and they don’t require the constant upkeep that real wood garage doors do.
While wood composites have many benefits over their traditional real wood garage door counterparts, they don’t provide the completely natural look that you’ll get with traditional wood doors. Additionally, wood composite garage doors can be more expensive than other options on the market, like aluminum, vinyl, or even fiberglass.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is one of the lightest materials that you can get a garage door made out of. This makes it super easy to lift up manually and puts less strain on the lifting parts. Most fiberglass garage doors will come with a steel core to help add strength and durability. This garage door material is fairly cheap compared to other options and requires very little maintenance. You can even upgrade to have insulating layers sandwiched between the fiberglass shells. Fiberglass is moisture-resistant and won’t corrode, which makes it a good garage door to have in a coastal climate.
One of the bigger drawbacks of having fiberglass garage doors is that they are highly susceptible to damaging winds and cold temperatures. If you get really cold winters, it’s likely that the fiberglass will get very brittle and crack.
Vinyl
Vinyl garage doors are well known to be highly resistant to damage. They’re extremely durable to have around and resistant to the weather. Vinyl is an anticorrosive material and won’t warp in humid climates. It’s resistant to sand, salt, and seawater carried by the wind. It’s even available in UV-resistant options. Vinyl is a natural insulator and is super easy to maintain. It has a clean, super-sleek look and comes in a variety of colors. Additionally, it’s very affordable for the average homeowner.
Unfortunately, vinyl isn’t a great insulator. You’ll have to spend more money purchasing an insulated vinyl door if you want to regulate the temperature in your garage to prevent moisture accumulation and promote a comfortable environment. Vinyl doors are constructed of pre-dyed resin to fit the unique color of your choice. You’ll be able to find a style that works with your existing home décor. While it’s possible to repaint a vinyl garage door, it can be challenging if not done properly with the right products.
Garage doors are necessary not only to protect your personal belongings but also to provide increased curb appeal for your home. ADS Automatic Door Specialists is proud to provide garage door installation and garage door maintenance for customers in San Diego and the surrounding areas. We can also assist with all of your gate repairs, roll-up door, and commercial garage door needs.
Call ADS Automatic Door Specialists today to get the professional garage door assistance that you need for your home.
