Your overhead garage door is more than likely the largest moving object in your home. Garage doors are essential not only in protecting your cars from the outside harsh weather, but also in protecting your vehicles (and your house) from burglars and intruders. Depending on multiple factors, a typical double wide overhead garage door usually weighs two to three hundred pounds. Some type of springing system is equipped to counterbalance the weight of the door which in turn makes the door a mere to open by hand. Comparable to automobiles, garage doors need to be serviced once a year so you or your electric door opener has an easy life opening and closing your garage door.

Majority of the newer doors purchased today is steel. This explains the reason for the most economical decision is steel. Steel garage doors provide the minimal amount of upkeep as compared to wood with the outside elements. Although, if you prefer the carriage house appearance, some garage door manufactures provide carriage house style doors in composite and handmade western red cedar wood. The advantages of red cedar or a composite door is the ability to apply stain to match parts of your house. This is something that you can’t do with a steel overhead door. Of course, with the natural look and cost of cedar or composite, it wouldn’t make sense to paint it. Now on the other hand, the lower end wood overhead garage doors can be painted, although it is not as durable as steel and requires more maintenance. The lower end wood doors usually consist of some type of hemlock fir and masonite hard board to make up the construction. For wood, you need stain or paint to keep a wood overhead door looking good and for its longevity. Basically, seal it up from the elements and moisture from getting inside the door. We also recommend a rubber seal between the floor and the door to prevent the wood door from drawing moisture off the floor when the door is closed. Once the wood door starts drawing moisture, it will soon start to deteriorate.

Because of advances in manufacturing, steel doors have greatly improved over the last several years by providing six to eight colors to choose from. Nearly all steel door companies have the wood grain design textured surface with embossed raised panels. So now you can get the same elegant wood look even if your overhead garage door is actually made of steel. Some manufactures have gone a bit farther with steel by offering the looks of handmade carriage house western red cedar but in the low maintenance and lower costs of steel. So, unless you need a door that you want to stain match part of your house, steel door offers so many options today compared ten years ago.

Remember annual maintenance and using your garage door regularly will guarantee its continuous operation for many years to come.

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