When you’re working with clients, even some of the earliest decisions can overwhelm them. In order to keep a project on its timeline, you cannot allow drawn-out decision-making to stall progress. But, you also need to educate your clients toward a decision so they don’t feel forced. As a residential garage door contractor, it’s vital to demonstrate your knowledge on materials to keep a project moving smoothly.

One of the early decisions in choosing a new garage door is material. The material affects a garage door’s overall lifespan, durability, and price. Finding the right fit is all about matching your clients’ needs with the right qualities and features. Today, we’re going to feature what wood and steel garage doors are truly made of.

When you’re working with clients, even some of the earliest decisions can overwhelm them. In order to keep a project on its timeline, you cannot allow drawn-out decision-making to stall progress. But, you also need to educate your clients toward a decision so they don’t feel forced. As a residential garage door contractor, it’s vital to demonstrate your knowledge on materials to keep a project moving smoothly.

One of the early decisions in choosing a new garage door is material. The material affects a garage door’s overall lifespan, durability, and price. Finding the right fit is all about matching your clients’ needs with the right qualities and features. Today, we’re going to feature what wood and steel garage doors are truly made of.

Every Garage Door Has a Price

While various factors influence garage door material choices, nearly everyone has a budget to work with. Steel garage doors offer the most variety in terms of price. There’s a steel option for nearly every price point. Whereas wood garage doors typically have higher price points, other unique features compensate for that fact.

Garage Door Appearance Affects Curb Appeal

The craftsmanship and beauty of real, wood garage doors makes them difficult to resist. Wood garage doors add warmth and beauty with their natural look. It’s a great accent to the architectural style of most homes. Wood garage doors provide customization, charm, detail, and curb appeal. While paint and stain options allow for nearly endless customization and color-matching. In terms of appearance, wood is a popular choice.

Steel wood-grain garage doors are the most popular in our Minnesota climate. This material allows adjusting for cold, wet, hot and sunny conditions. High temperature fluctuations result in garage door material contraction and expansion.

Maintenance Concerns Influence Material Choices

Something as beautiful as a wood garage door requires some upkeep. Wood doors benefit from a refinishing or fresh coat of paint every few years. Many homeowners consider the maintenance requirements a fair price to pay for the considerable beauty a wood garage door provides. Wood doors stand-up well to bumps and scratches. Steel garage doors are light and easy to maintain. They are subject to denting and fading.

Environmental Factors Affect a Garage Door’s Lifecycle

Steel doors remain unaffected by rain, heat, and humidity. Steel doors show minimal signs of wear-and-tear or warping. Premium doors with polyurethane (foam injected) or polystyrene insulation (styrene is cut to fit panes) regulate temperature while making steel doors quieter, and easy to operate.

Temperature fluctuations can cause wood garage doors to contract and swell, breaking down the finish. Extremely sunny, dry, or hot climates are less hospitable to wood doors.

Selecting the Right Door for Each Client’s Needs

As a residential garage door contractor, you’re in the business of delivering the right project in the right timeline for the right price. And a piece of that puzzle is guiding clients toward whatever decisions are right for them based on their individual needs and wants.

By demonstrating your experience and expertise in building materials, you’ll strengthen the trust within relationships with your clients.

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