One of the hallmarks of today’s suburban lifestyle is the attached garage. The convenience and usefulness of the garage is greatly enhanced by the use of garage doors and the near-essential electronic door openers. Because of these, many modern garages are used for far more than a place to park a car.
With the easy access and security made possible by a door that easily closes off the space, many homeowners use the garage for everything from storage to work benches. In fact, it is almost legendary how many American businesses have been launched behind those garage doors.
With the popularity of these doors, it is only natural for manufacturers to move beyond the traditional wooden door and experiment with many different materials for their construction, including:
- Aluminum
- Fiberglass
- Steel
- Plastic
While each material presents different advantages and benefits, from cost to weight to styles and maintenance, many of today’s homeowners are returning to the classic wooden door as their first choice. This renewed interest in such wooden doors has spurred a renaissance in design and styles of the basic wooden garage door.
Why Go Wood?
Today’s homeowner chooses wood for their garage entrance doors for a range of reasons. Leading the list is, of course, the unmatchable natural look and beauty of wood. It’s simply very difficult to match the look of wood with any other material. Other decision factors include the:
- Desire to use an eco-friendly alternative
- Long-lasting nature of wood
- Superior insulation factor
- Greater sense of security
The options for wooden doors include a wide variety of designs and options, including doors that are solid, hollow and insulated. For those who prefer the appeal of the traditional, these doors can be matched to all the exterior trim and finish. This includes specifying the right shade of paint and varnish to coordinate with shutters, entrance doors and eaves. On the other hand, the wooden door can also be used as a contrasting design element for any home.
With modern advances in the use of woods, there are many different veneers and types of wood available for use on home exteriors and doors. This means the ability to use wood and achieve other than traditional effects in the final appearance of the home. Of course, wood often requires more maintenance and care than metals and alternative such as fiberglass. However, many consider that a small inconvenience when weighed against the benefits and appeal of wood.
When it comes to the issue of appearance, wooden garage doors offer all the design options which may be missing in alternative materials. This includes everything from standard and raised-panel designs to those with an attractive rendition of ornate designs such as would be found on the fashionable carriage houses of the 18th century. The level of maintenance required for these doors will depend of the species of wood selected and the choice between stain or paint grade.
The types of wood that are used for the doors on garages include:
- Redwood
- Fir
- Cedar
- Hemlock
- Walnut
A professional can easily explain the relative merits of the wood choices beyond the basic appearance. Some of these woods can easily last for 50 to more than 250 years.
The overriding advantage of wooden doors for the garage is the flexibility. They can be custom made as panels with inlays, provide for any style of windows desired, and use a wide variety of hardware enhancements. Wood makes a compelling argument if design and appeal are important to the homeowner.
We offer FREE In-Home Design Consultations and FREE Estimates for your garage doors Roswell GA. Call All 4 Seasons Garage Doors at (678) 981-8454 or click below to request an appointment. We are your experts in garage doors Roswell GA.