Wooden garage door is the king of garage doors as it provide homes with the ultimate curb appeal especially to homes with front facing garages. Because of its high cost, wooden garage doors are niche products typically reserved for higher end homes. To broaden the appeal of custom wood garage doors, manufacturers cut costs by using wood paneling over flush metal garage doors instead of relying on thicker wood construction. The wood panels are also lighter and require less garage door supporting equipment. However, the use of wood panels have resulted in a shorter life span when compared to a solid wood construction. The thinner wood panels are more prone to warping and rotting over time especially in humid climates. To solve these issues, synthetic cladding material designed to look like wood have been introduced. However, the first generation cladding material made of fiberglass, resin-wood fiber-infused composite, plastic composite decking and fiber cement material were not only heavy but not realistic compared to real wood. The newer generation rigid polyurethane based composite material have resolved the weight issue. It is also looks very realistic as the cladding material is molded from real wood. It mimics the wood grain and even has the feel of real wood. A couple of companies have introduced faux wood garage doors including Clopay's Canyon Ridge (
www.clopay.com) and the Elements Collection by Ranch House Doors (
www.faux-wood-garage-doors.com).
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Clopay Canyon Ridge faux wood garage doors add curb appeal to any home.
Photo credit: Clopay. |
The biggest advantage of faux wood garage door is it looks almost identical to real wood but without the upkeep required of natural wood door. It adds realism and beauty of real wood. The cladding material is lightweight but durable. The faux material has insulation properties and when attached on an insulated steel garage door, the combined product provides exceptional insulation qualities to save energy costs.
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| Credit: Ranch House Door Elements Collection Faux Wood Garage Doors |
Companies offering faux wood garage doors:
Both companies offer custom real wood garage doors as well.
