San Diego’s coastal climate is characterized by sea spray, high winds, intense sunlight, and fluctuating temperatures. These factors can significantly impact the durability and appearance of your garage door. Therefore, when replacing or upgrading your garage door, select a tough material that is low maintenance and resistant to weather-related wear and tear. Here are some options to consider.
Aluminum
Aluminum garage doors are a great choice in San Diego. They are corrosion-resistant, which means they can withstand some saltwater exposure. Aluminum is also less prone to dents. When high winds blow twigs and other debris on its surface, the material’s resilience helps minimize damage, maintaining its appearance over time.
Another major advantage of aluminum garage doors is their lightweight nature. This feature not only simplifies installation and maintenance but also reduces wear and tear on garage door mechanisms and openers. The best part is that their lightweight doesn’t compromise their strength or durability.
Furthermore, aluminum doors come in various styles, finishes, and designs, from sleek, modern aesthetics to wood-look appearance. You can collaborate with your supplier to customize your door to match the architectural style of your home.
The caveat is that aluminum garage doors have an R-value of 2.0 to 3.0, which means they are slightly less energy efficient than other types of garage doors. To enhance energy efficiency, you will need to invest in additional insulation or consider a double-layer construction with thermal breaks. Also, aluminum is not malleable, so dents cannot easily be pounded out.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is a material that crosslinks glass fibers with resin. The result is a hard plastic that is very durable and lightweight.
A fiberglass garage door is an excellent choice for San Diego weather due to its resistance to corrosion, warping, and cracking. It can withstand high humidity and salty air, maintaining its original form and structural integrity throughout its lifespan. Fiberglass also has excellent insulation properties.
The major problem with fiberglass is, unlike most other types of garage doors, fiberglass garage doors cannot be repaired. If you dent it badly, you must install a new one. That can be a big problem, since most doors will get some kind of damage or dent at some point.
Vinyl
Vinyl is another excellent garage door material for coastal regions. It is a petroleum product manufactured with ethylene and chlorine. Vinyl can be cut, milled, shaped, and routed like wood, offering great versatility for unique designs.
Vinyl garage doors are salt, moisture, rot, fungus, and insect-resistant. They remain in great condition throughout their lifespan without needing constant sealing or painting. There are some drawbacks, however. Vinyl loses and gains heat quickly by itself, making temperature regulation in your garage challenging. To improve energy efficiency, consider adding insulation to the garage door.
Although versatile, vinyl has limited color availability. If you opt for dark colors in San Diego, your garage door will absorb excessive heat, which can cause the material to expand or warp over time. Prolonged exposure to UV light can also lead to the vinyl’s color fading.
Choose lighter colors such as white, beige, or baby blue to mitigate this. Additionally, apply a UV-resistant coating, as it can reduce fading and heat absorption effects.
Glass
If you want to add a “wow” factor to your home’s overall aesthetic in San Diego, glass garage doors are an excellent choice. They allow natural light to flood the garage, creating a bright and welcoming space perfect for workshops, studios, or home gyms.
Glass doors feature large panels of tempered glass set within aluminum frames. The glass is decay-, moisture, rot-, and rust-resistant. On the other hand, the aluminum frame is just as effective but with the added advantages of being lightweight and rigid.
Glass garage doors are very low-maintenance. They don’t need to be restrained or repainted. Clean them occasionally with a non-abrasive glass cleaner and a soft cloth to preserve their clarity and shine.
There are cons, however. Glass garage doors are not cheap. The materials and manufacturing process used to create them, plus the extra care in delivery and installation, contribute to their higher initial cost. Many reputable companies, including ADS Automatic Door Specialists, offer payment plans to help reduce the burden of upfront purchase and installation expenses.
The windows reduce the R-value of glass garage doors. Light is a form of solar radiation, and by allowing this heat to enter the garage more easily, it can be challenging to maintain stable indoor temperatures during the day. To address this issue, consider installing insulated glass panels that can reduce heat transfer while maintaining the visual appeal of the garage.
Furthermore, the weight of the glass garage doors can strain the system’s mechanical components. Strictly adhere to your maintenance schedule to ensure the door’s opener, springs, and tracks function smoothly and efficiently.
Wood
Wood is a beautiful garage door material with a classic look that can be suited to almost any home style in San Diego. However, they’re more susceptible to warping and rotting than other materials, so salty air can take more of a toll on them than other materials. That means that wood garage doors need more maintenance, but are a fantastic overall option that combines beauty and style with function and durability.
Steel
Steel garage doors are strong, versatile, and modern. This materials is adaptable for a ton of different potential styles and colors to fit local homes’ diverse set of aesthetics. They’re also extremely secure and low-maintenance. The drawback here is that our air’s abundant salt content and high relative humidity can contribute to corrosion. Thankfully, modern steel garage doors are manufactured with an anti-corrosive coating to combat this issue, preventing rust and making these doors a solid choice here.
Composite
Composite is a mixture of various synthetic materials, including wood fibers, resins, or polyurethane. While popular for being durable, prolonged exposure to strong coastal winds, moisture, and salt can reduce their longevity and compromise performance.
A Note on Maintenance
It’s important to realize that your garage door in San Diego will only be as durable and efficient as the care it receives. Not all parts of your garage door are rust-resistant. You will need a licensed professional to inspect, clean, lubricate, repaint, and perform necessary repairs. Schedule garage door maintenance biannually, if possible, to avoid potential issues caused by the region’s salty and high humidity.
Contact ADS Automatic Door Specialists for More Information
ADS Automatic Door Specialists offers reliable garage door installation services in San Diego and surrounding areas. Contact us today to discuss the right material for your home, depending on your budget, energy-efficiency goals, and aesthetic preferences. We offer flexible financing options for qualified customers, making getting the high-quality garage door you need easier without straining your finances. In addition to installation, you can rely on us for professional garage door maintenance and repair services.
Contact ADS Automatic Door Specialists for garage door installation, repair, and maintenance in San Diego.
