Choosing the right type of garage door for your home involves a lot of patience and research. You must gather information not just about the garage door style options, but also about the garage door materials, variety of finishes, range of color options, etc. You must also look for the best garage door manufacturer and check if he provides these garage door options. All this is time-consuming and is best done by consulting trusted garage door experts who have all the information at their fingertips.
For instance, take the material for garage doors? Should one choose steel garage doors or opt for fiberglass doors instead? Even this simple matter requires a lot of analysis to make a smart choice. Start by looking at this comparison first.
Fiberglass garage doors vs. steel garage doors
Popular material
Steel
Steel is the popular choice for garage doors due to its strength and durability. Since steel is an iron-carbon alloy, it is known to last long. That is why it has been a traditional choice by homeowners for years.
Apart from its ruggedness, steel can be customized in many ways to suit the garage door style. Its smooth surface is easy to paint or can be coated with a decorative finish. You can even give your steel door a wood grain finish and make it look like a wooden garage door or a carriage house door.
All these are the factors in favor of steel doors. On the downside, steel can rust or get dented. It is also heavy, needing the use of a good automatic garage door opener for safety. Regular maintenance is a must for this garage door type.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is a plastic reinforced in a special resin matrix. It is lighter than wood or steel. It is easier to install. It is also salt resistant and is the perfect choice for garage doors in coastal areas as unlike steel, they will not corrode with salt exposure.
The main advantage of fiberglass is it is an affordable material and easily customizable into any style option. It requires low maintenance as it does not rust.
On the downside, fiberglass being brittle can cracks or dents in these types of garage doors. They need professional Contact our Nashville garage door repair company experts for garage door installation services to install them with care.
Insulation
For energy efficiency, you must insulate your garage doors. Steel doors must be reinforced with a single or double layer of polyurethane insulation. Although fiberglass is an insulator, a core of foam insulation would do good to get the best benefit of insulation.
Style
Steel doors are perfect to unleash your creativity as their plain or blank surface can be painted in various color styles.
With fiberglass too, you can experiment with faux wood finish or other textures. So if you want a door with the wood finish but without warping problems like real wood, you can opt for fiberglass doors.
Pricing
A good quality steel garage door could cost you anywhere between $800- and $3500. This could vary depending on the panel style, decorative hardware, garage door opener model, etc.
A good fiberglass door would range between $1000 and-2000. Again, this is exempt from the additional hardware costs.
Fiberglass is cheaper than wood but costlier than steel or aluminum garage doors.
Noise protection
Steel doors, by themselves, can make a rattling or creaking sound if they rust. They need felt pads, sweeps, or a rubber seal to keep out the noise.
But there is no such problem with fiberglass doors. Fiberglass garage doors are sound-proof as they keep out noise.
Still, confused about what to choose for your garage door? Don’t be. Just follow the above pointers and select the right material depending on your location, frequency of use, style, budget, etc.
Better still, you can even use a steel door reinforced with a fiberglass coating for best results. Seek the help of a professional garage door repair service specialist in Nashville like Tip Top Garage Doors to customize your garage door and make the best of both worlds- steel and fiberglass. Contact our garage door experts for your garage door needs!