Vinyl vs steel garage door: A comparative analysis

After wooden garage doors were slowly phased out due to them not being very durable and having a short lifespan, other materials have been used to fill the gap that wooden doors had left. Two of the most popular materials for making garage doors nowadays are vinyl and steel. But which one is better? 

Both of these materials have some distinct advantages to them. On one hand, steel garage doors have a sleek look and are more affordable. On the other hand, vinyl garage doors, which are made from mainly plastic, have a longer life span, better durability, and greater water resistance. 

Let’s take a detailed look at a comparative analysis of vinyl vs steel garage doors which will help you decide which one suits you the best. 

Steel vs vinyl garage doors

The fact that wooden doors are elegant and their design will stand the test of time can not be denied. But with time, the trend of having garage doors made of wood changed. There are a few reasons this happened.

First, the doors were not very durable, as they got seriously damaged due to rough and wet weather conditions. And they also needed frequent maintenance. 

So, what did people do? They started manufacturing doors that had higher durability and longer lifespans. Of all the materials that replaced wood for making garage doors, vinyl and steel are more prominent.

Due to the clear advantages of these two materials, people all around the world are choosing to have these garage doors in their houses. 

It is their unique properties that have sparked a vinyl back vs steel back garage door, and today, we will try to solve this issue once and for all. 

Steel garage doors: advantages and disadvantages

Steel is one of the most used metals in the world, and there is a good reason for it. It is easy to make products with it and it also has a strength that few other metals have.

So, it comes as no surprise that a large percentage of the world’s garage doors are made of steel. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of steel for you to consider: 

Advantages of steel garage doors

Here are the upsides of installing a steel garage door in your house: 

• They are affordable:

Another big advantage of steel garage doors is their affordability. As steel is one of the most used metals in the world, they are rarely unavailable. Coupled with their availability, their affordability makes them easier to buy and install. 

• You can repaint them:

With time, the paint on your garage door will start to fade or be damaged. With steel garage doors, it will never be a problem as you can paint them as many times as you like. There are a lot of ways you can paint these doors as well, making them very versatile. 

• The metal is recyclable:

One of the biggest concerns in the world right now is global warming, and recycling materials can have a big impact on reducing its impacts. Once the garage doors reach the end of their lifespans, the metal from these doors can easily be recycled, making them eco-friendly.

Disadvantages of steel garage doors

Although there are some compelling advantages of garage doors made of steel, they also have some pretty concerning drawbacks as well. They are

• They are vulnerable to damage:

Despite being made from one of the strongest metals on earth, steel garage doors are not immune to impact damage. If enough stress is applied, these doors can be bent, and dented by a backing car. 

• They are prone to rust and corrosion:

Despite steel garage doors being made of galvanized steel, that doesn’t completely stop the rusting process, rather it slows it down. If you live in an area that has wet weather conditions, the rainwater can cause the garage door to rust and corrode. 

• They are not good insulators:

Steel, like all other metals, is an excellent conductor of heat. So, having steel garage doors makes the garage increasingly hot in the summer. 

• They can be costly in the long run:

Despite steel garage doors being pretty cheap up front, they need frequent maintenance as well as repair. Also, being poor insulators, they ensure you have to increase the usage of HVAC units in the garage or insulate the door itself.

All of these contribute toward making steel garage doors costlier in the long run. 

Vinyl garage doors: advantages and disadvantages

Vinyl is an entirely synthetic material, mainly made from plastic, among other things. In recent years, vinyl has been used to make a lot of things, which include flooring, and of course, garage doors. Vinyl back garage doors especially have been garnering a lot of attention and praise from homeowners around the world. But why is that? 

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of having a vinyl garage door in your house. 

Advantages of vinyl garage doors

There are some eye-catching advantages of vinyl garage doors. They are 

• They are durable:

One of the biggest upsides of vinyl garage doors, which gives them an upper hand in the vinyl back vs steel back garage door debate, is their durability. They don’t bend due to pressure, nor are they dented by a backing car.

They also offer great weather resistance, so no matter how rough the weather is these doors will not give way. 

This comes in especially handy if you have kids in your home. As kids love to play in and around the garage, it is very common for them to damage the garage door by throwing objects at them. They also damage garage doors by barging into them. Vinyl garage doors can be a great solution to this issue. 

• They won\’t rust or corrode:

Since vinyl garage doors are not made of metal, they have no chance of rusting. Also, due to their being completely synthetic, they don’t rot or corrode like wooden garage doors as well. 

• They are pretty low-maintenance:

Unlike steel garage doors, vinyl garage doors don’t need frequent maintenance. Since they don’t weigh as much as steel doors, they don’t put too much stress on the parts of the garage door. Also, even if these doors are scratched, you can’t notice them very well because of their single finished layer. 

• They are cost-effective in the long run:

Vinyl doors can be a bit pricy at first, but as you won’t need to perform maintenance on them often, you won’t have to spend as much money on them as steel ones. This makes them more cost-effective than steel garage doors in the long run. 

Disadvantages of vinyl garage doors

Along with the attractive advantages, vinyl garage doors also have a few disadvantages that make you think twice before buying them. Here are they: 

• They can cost a lot up front:

As we have mentioned before, vinyl garage doors can cost quite a lot at first. So, if someone has a small budget, this door might be out of their reach. 

• They don’t provide very good insulation:

Just like steel garage doors, vinyl garage doors are not very good insulators. You have to customize the doors to make them good insulators. This along with the increased usage of HVAC units, can sometimes make the doors a bit costly. 

• They can crack during harsh winters:

Vinyl garage doors are more suited to homes in tropical regions. Because in harsh winters, the vinyl can’t handle the cold, and cracks. The cracked doors can also shatter, leaving your garage vulnerable. 

• You can’t repaint them:

One of the biggest drawbacks of vinyl garage doors is their inability to be repainted. Since vinyl doors have only one backing layer, once the paint fades or gets severely damaged, you have to either keep it that way or replace the door, since there is no way to paint them. 

• They are not biodegradable:

Since vinyl garage doors are made of plastic and other synthetic material, they are not biodegradable. This makes them an eco-hazard and deters a lot of people from buying them. 

key differences between steel and vinyl garage doors:

Author’s opinion

If there is anything that has been made clear from our comparative analysis of vinyl vs steel garage doors, is that both these doors cater to different needs. So, if you have a lower budget, or live in a cooler area, you can go for steel garage doors.

On the other hand, if you have a high budget and you want a durable and low-maintenance garage door, vinyl garage doors are your best option. 

Read our article if you are also confused about steel vs aluminum garage doors.

FAQ\’s

1. Are steel garage doors good?

Steel garage doors are strong, affordable, and sturdy, and spending money on them will be a great choice if you can properly maintain them. So, yes, steel garage doors are good. 

2. What is the cost of vinyl garage doors?

Low maintenance and lightweight, vinyl garage doors are great for tropical and warmer regions. You can buy a two-car vinyl garage door for between $900 to $1500. 

3. How long do vinyl garage doors last?

Vinyl garage doors are known for their longevity, and it shows in their average lifespan. On average, a vinyl garage door will last about 20 to 30 years.