fiberglass and vinyl garage doors

Most garage doors are either wood, steel or aluminum doors. But fiberglass and vinyl garage doors are also relatively common….

Vinyl garage doors

Besides being an environmentally-unfriendly plastic, vinyl has other disadvantages when applied as the door structural material.

There are many reported problems and complaints involving vinyl garage doors, namely warping problems in double car garages and in climates with very cold winters or very hot summers.

Vinyl garage doors can also become noisy and fragile when subject to low temperatures, which is another drawback in cold climates.

Fiberglass Garage Doors

Fiberglass garage doors are cheaper than steel doors, and also lighter, but the quality of fiberglass may vary a lot. Fiberglass can be dent-resistant, but most fiberglass isn’t. Be aware.

Though fiberglass is a common and good insulation material, fiberglass garage doors are less energy-efficient than other materials used in the insulation of garage doors, namely the polyurethane used with steel garage doors.

Another disadvantage of fiberglass is that it weathers with age, making garage doors more prone to break, especially in cold climates.

Alternatives to fiberglass and vinyl garage doors

In most cases, a two-layer steel door with polyurethane insulation is a better and cheap alternative to fiberglass garage doors and mainly to vinyl ones.

Some manufactures are using vinyl and fiberglass with other materials, which can offset some of the disadvantages we have mentioned above.