If you’re looking to replace your current garage door with a new one, there’s no better option for improving your home’s curb appeal than a wooden or faux wood garage door. They’re eye-catching, solid, dependable doors. And, there’s no denying how much beauty a good-quality wood garage door can add to your home. It’s also a quick and easy way to change the overall look of your house if it’s time for an update.

If you’re like a lot of people, you may not know much about the different kinds of garage doors on the market today. You’re not sure what the difference is between wood and faux wood garage doors. If that’s the case, then you’re in the right place. Here’s a rundown on what type of garage door you should consider for your property.

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Residential Wood and Faux Wood Garage Door Products

With all of the garage door trends out there, it’s important to find a quality selection that you can browse.

At Halo Overhead Doors, we offer many wood and faux wood door options for you to choose from. These options include the CLASSIC™ Wood Collection, the RESERVE® Wood Collection and CANYON RIDGE® Collection from Clopay®, and the Wayne Dalton Fiberglass Collection.

1. CLASSIC™ WOOD Collection

These wood, raised-panel doors are designed in the style of Clopay’s CLASSIC™ steel doors. Our CLASSIC™ WOOD Collection doors come in handcrafted hemlock, redwood and cedar, and the natural wood truly brings out the raised panel design. 

This collection gives you a vast selection of garage door options that you can explore. From colors and construction to design, you’ll have complete control over the process. Your garage door will be a reflection of your exact specifications, and it will be a unique, worthwhile investment in your home.

2. RESERVE® WOOD Collection

These beautiful, handcrafted wood doors come in a variety of styles to suit your home. The RESERVE® WOOD Collection LIMITED EDITION series features a vintage carriage house design. The RESERVE® WOOD Collection MODERN series, meanwhile, gives you the clean lines and streamlined look of a modern door combined with the natural authenticity and old-style charm of wood. If neither of those suits your style, but you know you still want a RESERVE® WOOD Collection door, ask about the Clopay RESERVE® WOOD collection CUSTOM series or RESERVE® WOOD collection SEMI-CUSTOM series.

Whatever look you’re looking for, the RESERVE® WOOD Collection will have something to offer. Go for a historical look with the LIMITED EDITION series, choose a more current twist with the MODERN series, or design something unique with the CUSTOM and SEMI-CUSTOM series. Whatever you pick, you’ll get a high-quality garage door that you’ll admire every time you see it.

3. CANYON RIDGE® Collection

If the idea of getting the best of both worlds when it comes to a garage door with a faux wood door appeals to you, we present to you the Clopay CANYON RIDGE® Collection. These insulated carriage house doors have all the strength, durability and energy-efficiency of a modern steel door with Intellicore® polystyrene insulation with faux wood composite cladding and overlays. The effect is a garage door that fits in seamlessly with any vintage home that has maintenance requirements and durability more in line with a steel door.

The CANYON RIDGE® Collection offers a lasting garage door option, built with solid materials and great insulation. Its nylon rollers give it quiet operation, and the Clopay Safe-T-Bracket® provides extra safety if a bracket comes off. Choose from clear, frosted, seeded, rain and obscure insulated glass options or add unique hardware such as decorative lift handles and ring door knockers.

4. Wayne Dalton Fiberglass Collection

This collection gives you the warm, beautifully authentic look of real wood with the added benefit of durability. Molded wood-grain fiberglass is combined with steel construction to create a lasting door that looks like real wood. Here are some benefits to choosing the Wayne Dalton Fiberglass Collection:

  • Insulation: Strong foamed-in-place polyurethane insulation will help keep your garage at a constant temperature and block out street noise. You can save on energy bills and operate in a quiet environment with quality insulation.
  • Longevity: The unique construction of the Wayne Dalton Fiberglass Collection is built for durability and longevity. With this collection, you’ll have a garage door that you can use for a long time.
  • Aesthetic: In addition to its functionality, this garage door will also look great. You can choose from many garage door colors and designs to find the perfect option for your home. Pick where you want your windows and add hardware for a unique aesthetic. When it’s all finished, you’ll have a beautiful garage door that will increase the curb appeal of your home.

Real Wood vs. Faux Wood Garage Doors: How to Choose the Right One for Your Home

Choosing the right garage door for your home is important. Not only does it impact the look of your home, but it can also have a serious impact on your wallet — both now and in the years to come. After all, you don’t want to make the wrong decision and spend the next 20 years desperately trying to maintain a door you should never have bought.

If you don’t approach your decision in an analytical manner, the prospect of making such an important purchase can be overwhelming. There are so many options out there. To make it easier, there are a few questions you need to ask yourself:

  1. What colors and/or finishes am I looking for in a door?
  2. Which kind of door would complement the style of my home’s exterior?
  3. Will I want to add hardware or other finishes to the exterior of the door after it has been installed?
  4. Do my home’s climate and layout mean I need to purchase an insulated door?
  5. How much time and effort do I want to put into maintaining my door?
  6. How will my door be used? Is it my family’s primary entrance? Will my guests enter and exit through it as well?
  7. Will my door be visible to the street? If so, how will a new door impact my home’s curb appeal?
  8. Is my door going to be subject to a large amount of wind, rain, cold or other weather elements that could result in damage?
  9. How quickly do I need the door installed? Do I have time to wait for a customized door, or do I need something that’s in stock and able to be installed quickly?

What Is the Difference Between Wood and Faux Wood Garage Doors?

A wood garage door is exactly what it sounds like — a garage door made of solid wood, often redwood, cedar, hemlock or even Douglas Fir. In contrast, a wood-look, or faux, wood garage door is a door that has a steel core and then a wood overlay. This gives it the beautiful look of a classic wood door but means that it’s lighter and typically less expensive than the real thing.

a good quality faux wood door will look just like wood

Their similarities come in look and feel — a good-quality faux wood door will generally be indistinguishable from a wood door from the street. The differences between a wood and a faux wood garage door are typically found in their price point, availability and maintenance needs. However, they also come with many benefits that make them the right choice for certain homeowners. While each offers its own set of pros and cons, it’s important for homeowners to understand the pros and cons of both options in order to decide which is the best choice for them.

faux wood garage doors vs wood garage doors

Pros of Wooden Garage Doors

There are many pros to owning wood garage doors. Here are just a few to consider for your home.

1. Curb Appeal of Wood Garage Doors

Wood garage doors are designed to be beautiful and elegant and often are regarded as a decorative item as much as a functional one. Typically wood doors are custom-made for each home, which means owners can personalize them by selecting the look and color that goes best with their home — in other words, there is much more variety available in wood doors.

At a time when homeowners are more likely to go in and out of their garage than their front door, having an attractive entry point in the garage door is an appealing option.

2. Durability of Wood Garage Doors

Wood garage doors are solid and built to last. It takes a lot to damage them, and they can stand up to pretty much anything you throw at them.

If you’re worried about the impact of overzealous teenagers’ game of pickup basketball in your driveway or a well-meaning relative who attempted to park a little too close, you can breathe easy. Wood garage doors don’t dent. When they do experience typical wear and tear — in the form of cracks, chips, rot or warp — you can simply have the damaged panels replaced instead of the entire door.

3. Good Resale Value on Wood Garage Doors

A beautiful garage door is a showstopper. If you’re thinking about selling your home now or ten years from now, consider how your home is going to look to someone as they pull up into the driveway. Will they see a beautiful, custom-made wood door? Or will they see something old and dented and the same as what your neighbor has across the street?

Garage doors have a huge impact on the resale value of a home. Their appearance and condition can even make or break someone’s interest in seeing the interior of your home, which will impact how quickly you sell your home and what kind of profit you make on it.

Cons of Wood Garage Doors

There are a few considerations to allow for if you decide to install wood garage doors.

1. Wood Garage Doors Are More Expensive

Many people ask “are wood garage doors more expensive?” Yes, wood garage doors usually cost more than faux wood garage doors. This is mainly because of the material — wood, especially high-quality, moisture-resistant wood like cedar — is usually a more expensive material.

wood doors cost more

2. Wood Garage Doors Require Regular Maintenance

Wood garage doors are vulnerable to weather and other outside factors like moisture buildup and termites. Rain, sun, storms and varying temperatures wear away at the wooden surface. This means that a wood garage door will need to be sanded and repainted every couple of years. And that’s not a maintenance item you can put off, either. If a wood garage door isn’t re-painted and re-sealed regularly, it can become susceptible to moisture and rot or even bow in the winter because of the colder temperatures.

3. Wood Garage Doors Have Longer Initial Wait Times

Being able to customize your garage door’s style and color is fun, but it does mean that you’ll have to wait for it to be constructed. It can’t just be pulled out of a warehouse. Expect a longer wait time between order and installation, which may become a factor if your timeline is constricted for some reason.

Pros of Faux Wood Garage Doors

Like wood garage doors, faux wood doors also have a number of pros. The main pros of faux wood garage doors are their reliability, affordability and ease of maintenance in comparison to traditional wood garage doors. Learn more about the pros of these types of garage doors below.

1. Faux Wood Garage Doors Are Reliable

By choosing a door with a steel core and wood overlay, you guarantee your garage door will hold up better against the elements — sun, rain, storms and temperatures can’t get through steel. These doors are harder to damage and crack, and, when your door can’t crack, then moisture can’t get inside and cause rot and other damage. This ultimately extends the life of your door and helps it to maintain its appearance over time.

2. Faux Wood Garage Doors Are Affordable

Faux wood garage doors are not custom-made, although they are still available in a wide variety of colors and styles. Since they aren’t custom-made, they’re typically readily available. This means huge cost-savings AND time savings because you won’t have to wait for your garage door to be constructed. These lighter-weight options are also easier and quicker to install, so your installation costs will be lower, a definite bonus for the budget-conscious consumer.

3. Faux Wood Garage Doors Are Low Maintenance

Real wood doors have to be sanded down and repainted every couple of years. If you don’t want to spend much time or money on upkeep, faux garage doors are for you. They do not require regular painting needed to keep them looking gorgeous. You won’t need to reseal them as they age. Over time, they remain easy to clean and hard to damage.

Cons of Faux Wood Garage Doors

You will also discover a few cons of faux wood doors, including the following.

1. Higher Cost of Faux Wood Garage Doors

Yes, they’re cheaper than real wood garage doors, but faux wood doors are still a more expensive option than doors made from other materials. This is because you’re still paying for a high-quality steel door, and it is still overlaid with real wood products.

2. The Appearance of Faux Wood Garage Doors May Vary Based on Quality

Like anything, there are varying degrees of quality when it comes to faux wood doors, and it’s important to make sure you’re satisfied with the appearance of the “faux” wood. While these doors can look like the real deal from far away, some of the less-expensive options aren’t as convincing when you’re up close. Some people have gone as far as to say that they don’t look or feel like real wood.

quality of faux wood doors varies

While there are many high-quality products out there that do look like the real thing, be careful what you choose. Looking at samples up close or asking to drive by a home with the door you’re considering are always great ways to evaluate the authenticity of a particular product.

Wondering Where to Buy Wood Garage Doors? Choose Halo Overhead Doors in Houston

With so many options available to you, don’t you wish there was somewhere you could go to touch the doors, see the colors and get a feel for which style would complement your home? You can.

The showroom at Halo Overhead Doors boasts a wide variety of samples of materials, colors and styles for you to choose from. We aren’t going to let you pick a door you aren’t sure about. We want you to be thrilled when the new door arrives. And the best way to make sure that happens is to let you see it before you buy it.

We know this is especially important when you’re trying to decide whether to buy a wood door or a faux wood door. Sometimes the best way to determine if you prefer the classic look and feel of real wood over the price and convenience of faux wood is to touch and see it up close and in person.

For the last 25 years, Halo Overhead Doors has been installing residential and commercial garage doors in the Houston area. Locally owned and operated, we proudly offer high-quality personal service to each of our customers. We provide installation of a variety of styles, including Clopay’s RESERVE® WOOD Collection, CANYON RIDGE® collection, CLASSIC™ WOOD Collection and the Wayne Dalton Fiberglass Collection.

locally owned overhead door company houston tx

We are a Clopay Master Installer. Our technicians are experienced in the maintenance and repair of a wide variety of brands of garage doors, and they have years of experience with a wide variety of garage door issues, including:

But don’t worry if you don’t see your issue on this list or you aren’t sure exactly what’s wrong. Our technicians can diagnose problems and come up with the best solution to have your door functioning at maximum capacity as quickly as possible.

Whether you’re in desperate need of a new garage door or your existing door isn’t functioning like it should, we invite you to give us a call at 713-224-3667, request a free door estimate online or visit our showroom to discover just how we can turn your garage door from something functional into something beautiful.

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