If you are shopping for a new garage door, you should understand the basic types of garage door construction. Except for custom built high end garage doors, the days of wooden garage doors are pretty much gone. Most garage doors on the market today are steel garage doors.
Modern steel garage doors are a big improvement over older wooden garage doors. Steel garage doors are far more durable than wood doors. Steel doors don’t rot, warp, crack, or split. Steel doors are galvanized for corrosion resistance and can be ordered factory painted or you can paint them yourself.
In addition, steel garage doors are more secure than wood garage doors. A basic steel garage door consists of a single layer of durable steel without any insulation. These are the least expensive option and provide good protection and security for unheated garages. However, they are noisier than insulated doors so even if you don’t need insulation, consider an insulated door for quiet operation.
A two layer door has a layer of steel covered with a layer of polystyrene insulation. These doors are a good choice where you would like to retain some heat in the garage for example if there is a room over the garage. The insulation also acts to absorb noise so they are quieter to operate than non-insulated doors. A quieter door may be an important feature for an attached garage.
A triple layer door has inner and outer layers of steel with a layer of insulation sandwiched in between. These are the quietest, most secure doors and are an excellent choice when installed on finished or heated areas.
