As you may know wood is a good insulator that in extreme cold conditions it is unlikely to be the best choice of material in your garage door. This is because unless you buy a very expensive wooden door it will not be that thick and therefore its insulating properties are compromised. This may increase your house is energy bill as well as not protecting any heat sensitive items in your garage. Also, if you live in an area that regularly has hurricanes it wooden doors will not be a good choice as they are not as strong as metal.

A big problem with wooden garage doors is that they can go rotten, especially in areas of a very warm climate. However if you properly maintain your door you’ll find that it is unlikely to rot . The best way to maintain your door is to hire a professional to look after it on a regular basis. Not only can they check for rot , but they will also be able to advise you on whether your door is safe. We have talked about garage door safety a lot on this website but that it is a major issue that not many people are aware of.

The main problem with a wooden garage door is that they are more expensive than metal or even fibreglass. In fact they can be anywhere up to 10 times the price of metal doors making them a major investment. They do look great and will last a long time properly maintained but if you are unwilling but the effort into maintaining them then they can be a disaster because they will not last as long as they should do and as you would expect them to.

With that said a wooden door on your garage will really make your house look great and will help your house to sell in the future. It is usually best to get a professional to install your garage door for you so you can be sure a professional job has been done.

There have been new legislations brought in in the US to try and stop problems and unsafe doors as much as possible. A lot of people get hurt when their doors shut with them underneath them, so in 1993 an act came in saying that every home in the US must have an electric eye system. This is a detector that will stop the door from closing if it detects you underneath it so hopefully you’ll never have the chance of getting hurt by it if it’s working correctly. You should always have your doors safety systems checked by a professional reguarly especially if you have children in the family just to be on the safe side.

Generally older garage doors are more dangerous than modern ones due to the new improvements. Some have a system where if the door touches something when it is closing it will stop, which is better than nothing but definitely not as safe as a wooden door that can sense things before it gets to them. If you feel unsafe with this kind of wooden garage door you should consider replacing it. Much older garage doors may have no safety system whatsoever and these should definitely be replaced as soon as possible as they are not consider safe for use.

The best way to make sure your door is safe is to regaulrly test it. This can be done much more effectively by a professional. You should also educate your family, especially the children, that the door is not a toy and can be dangerous if treated as such. They shouldn’t be using the garage door unsupervised especially if they don’t know the risks that can be involved in using it incorrectly. It may be an inconvenience to check the safety of your garage door regularly, but it is far better to be safe than sorry.

There are far too many choices of garage door to go into them all individually in this article but we can certainly give you an idea of the prices you’ll be paying. For example, for a Tudor style wooden door you can get one for about £285 online which isn’t too bad considering the prices people used to have to pay for a wooden door. It’s always a good idea to go for a door that has been looked at by a professional – garage doors should last a long time and you don’t want to be replacing it in a couple of years because you’ve made the wrong decision and bought a door that isn’t of high enough quality to last the harsh weather it will have to cope with year round. Wooden garage doors prices tend to be quite expensive, but that shouldn’t put you off.>

On the other hand, the other end of the market can be very expensive. For example a Berkely garage door will often set ou back thousands of pounds just for the door. You may then have to buy other parts such as springs and mechanisms separately as well as getting it fitted professionally of course. You can be sure with this door though that you are getting high quality, and if fitted correctly it should last a long time.

If you are planning to spend a lot on the garage door then unless you know what you are doing make sure you get it fitted by a professional so that you know the job has been done to the highest standard. You don’t want to be spending a few thousand pounds on a new door every other year, so make sure it is done right the first time and things will be a lot easier. Custom wooden garage doors are another option but that’s a whole different article!