No matter what the current trend is, it is bound to change at some point. During the early years of garage doors, the trend was to have wooden doors in every house. Although these doors had designs that could stand the test of time, the same can not be said about their durability. This is why people have turned to metal garage doors such as steel and aluminum.
As a result of this, the steel vs aluminum garage door debate has been created. Steel and aluminum garage doors have quite a lot in common, and they also have some big differences.
Steel garage doors are strong, come at a reasonable price, and are low maintenance. On the other hand, aluminum garage doors offer more weather protection as well as are more durable.
Let’s take a look at the comparison between steel and aluminum garage doors.
Aluminum or steel garage door: which one should you go for?
Despite wooden garage doors looking more aesthetically pleasing, they were replaced by metal ones due to the wooden doors suffering from rotting, getting easily damaged, and having less durability overall. Two metal doors that have taken up most of the space that wooden doors had left behind are steel and aluminum.
Aluminum and steel garage doors have quite a lot in common. Both of them are made of commonly used metals, and both of them can be recycled. But it is their differences that have sparked the steel vs aluminum garage doors debate over the years.
Let’s take a look at a comparative analysis of aluminum vs steel garage doors to help you decide which garage door you should go for.
Pros and cons of aluminum garage doors
One of the most used metals in the world, aluminum has been a mainstay in our day-to-day lives during the height of the industrial revolution. Ever since then it has been a part and parcel of our lives, and has been used for building airplanes to manufacturing household utensils. Garage doors are yet another thing that is made of this metal.
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Aluminum garage doors have a lot of advantages and disadvantages, which you have to learn before deciding to buy one. Here are a few of them.
Pros: The advantages you will enjoy while owning an aluminum garage door are as follows:
- The doors are rust and corrosion-proof:
Aluminum is considered one of the best materials for garage doors because of its resistance to rust and corrosion. Unlike iron and other metals, aluminum doesn’t form rust and they don’t corrode over time. This also gives the owners greater protection, especially in wet and humid weather conditions.
- They don’t weigh much:
Aluminum is one of the lightest metals that we use in our day-to-day lives. Because of this, the doors made of them are very lightweight and hence don’t put much stress on the moving parts of the garage door opener.
This makes the doors long-lasting and durable.
- They are low-maintenance:
Due to aluminum garage doors not putting a lot of stress on the moving parts, you don’t have to replace the parts of the door very often. This also reduces the need to perform maintenance on the door.
Additionally, since they don’t rust, you can easily wash these doors with water and clean them up with a cloth.
- The metal can be recycled:
One of the biggest upsides of owning an aluminum garage door is that you can recycle the metal after the door becomes unusable. The recycling procedure is eco-friendly and goes a long way to saving the planet.
Cons: it is not all good with aluminum garage doors as they have some clear disadvantages. They are
- They are prone to denting:
Because of the weight of aluminum garage doors, they can be easily dented by a backing-up car or children playing around the door.
They are not energy efficient:
Aluminum is a great conductor of heat, which is why they make the garage extremely hot during summer and the opposite during winter. You need to put layers of insulation on these doors to make them energy efficient.
- They are pricey:
Compared to other alternatives, aluminum doors are costlier. An average aluminum door can cost up to $7000, which is a few times more than some of its other contemporaries.
Pros and cons of steel garage doors
Steel has been the most used metal after iron for centuries. Its versatility, durability, and strength make it the perfect material for making garage doors ever since wooden doors have taken a backseat.
These doors have some amazing advantages as well as disadvantages, which you should take a look at before installing one in your garage.
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Pros: The best steel garage doors in the world have the following upsides:
- Affordable:
Steel is a very affordable metal and so are the doors made by them. Due to their low cost, more people opt for a steel garage door over any other garage door. You can buy a steel garage door for as low as $800.
- Versatility:
A major factor in the steel versus aluminum debate is the metals’ versatility. Compared to aluminum, steel is a very versatile metal and there are a plethora of door types you can make from it. You can have steel roll-up doors, as well as sectional garage doors, among others.
- Durability:
Ever since people have been engaged in the steel vs aluminum doors debate, the pro-steel door people have argued that a steel garage door is more durable than its aluminum counterpart, and they have solid ground to stand on.
Steel is one of the strongest metals on earth and hence can take a lot of punishment from the weather as well as the car and children playing in the garage.
- Eco-friendly:
One of the similarities the steel garage doors have with aluminum ones is their eco-friendliness. These doors as well are made of recyclable metal, which goes a long way toward protecting the planet.
Pros: As much as we would like you to believe, it is not all good with steel garage doors, as they have clear disadvantages as well. These are
- Susceptible to moderate dents:
Although steel garage doors will not be dented by the slightest of bumps by your car, they can dent when the car kind of rams into the door.
- Prone to rust and corrosion:
Although most steel garage doors are galvanized steel garage doors, they are not entirely immune to rusting and corrosion. When the door is installed in a house that is in a wet or humid climate, it will rust quite fast.
- These doors are not good insulators:
Just like aluminum, steel is a good conductor of heat. This is why they are not very efficient insulators and make the garage quite hot and cold during summer and winter respectively. But like aluminum garage doors, you can add a few insulating layers to fix this issue.
Here are the key differences between steel and aluminum doors to help make up your mind.
| Steel Garage Doors | Aluminum Garage Doors |
|---|---|
| Durable | A bit less Durable than steel doors |
| Affordable | Aluminum garage doors prices can be quite high |
| Rust and corrosion-prone | Not prone to rust and corrosion |
| Weigh a lot | Don’t weigh much |
Author’s note
If there is anything that is evident from the above comparative analysis of steel vs aluminum garage doors is that despite their similarities, both these doors have some stark differences.
If you want a low-cost, durable garage door, you should go for steel garage doors. On the other hand, if your preference is a low-maintenance garage door with immunity to rusting, aluminum garage doors are your best bet.
