Steel- Most

1. Steel- Most of the garage doors are made of steel. The backside of the doors is likely to have rigid-foam insulation. The front side will be embossed to resemble wood grain, or another pattern of your choice. The steel is coated with a baked-on primer, which is followed by a topcoat of polyester. This combination results in a durable finish that will have a nice warranty. This material is low maintenance. Wood- This is another alternative, but it is much less popular. Wood is much heavier, and it has to be maintained regularly. Wood also has a very limited warranty due to the nature of the wood itself. It is prone to rotting, warping, and insect damage. The look of wood can't be beat, but you have to be committed to keeping it maintained. Vinyl- This is a new option that is coming to the market. It is a no-maintenance option. Plastics are lightweight, and fairly durable. These are not going to have any damage from corrosion or rotting. They are also very quiet compared to wood or steel. The drawback is that most vinyl will fade in the sun at some point. UV protectant is built into the plastic, but if you live in intense sun you might have to consider the possibility of fading. Most of these garage doors have a long warranty, some are at 20 years.Ads by GoogleInsulationInsulation is a benefit of newer garage doors. Solid wood doors don't really have a space available for insulation, but the wood is solid and insulates itself somewhat. Steel and plastic doors are easily insulated. This is a valuable option if you have a heated garage, or the space over the garage is climate controlled. The level of insulation will vary, so you will need to check what the R-factor is on each door. The doors should also come with weather stripping on the bottom that will keep dirt and water from getting into the garage.CostBecause of the wide variety of garage doors, you can find them in prices that vary just as much as the selection. You have a lot of custom options that you can include, all of which will increase the cost of the door. Usually you will find that steel doors are the most economical.SafetyGarage doors in Calgary have come a long way in terms of safety features. Many of the newer models will have a feature that prevents fingers from getting stuck in the joints as the door is opening or closing. This feature can be found on steel or vinyl doors, but wood doors aren't able to be made this way. Garage door openers also add to the safety of a garage door. They are designed to reverse automatically if the door comes in contact with anything as it closes. The opener will also have safety beams at that bounce across the opening of the garage; if the beam of light is broken by anything that door will not come down.You will be amazed at how sophisticated garage doors are compared to the selection from 15 years ago. Garage doors have come a long way!