With wooden garage doors becoming out of fashion for various reasons, people have started to look elsewhere for suitable materials for their garage doors. As a result, metal garage doors have risen in popularity in recent years.
Two metals that have dominated the garage door market these years are steel and aluminum, which has given rise to the steel vs aluminum garage door debate in various forums.
Both steel and aluminum garage doors have some unique traits going for them which make them desirable to garage owners around the world. Steel garage doors are sturdy, affordable, readily available, and don’t require much maintenance. On the other hand, aluminum garage doors are lightweight, corrosion-resistant, and recyclable.
Let’s take a look at what makes both steel and aluminum garage doors desirable and what disadvantages they have.
Aluminum vs steel garage doors
In the early years of garage doors, wooden garage doors were in vogue. But due to various issues such as rotting, high maintenance, and the short lifespan of these garage doors, homeowners started to discard wooden garage doors and replaced them with various other doors, such as metal and glass.
Two of the most used metal garage doors are aluminum and steel garage doors, and they have quite a few strong arguments in favor of them. Both of these doors have some incredible advantages as well as some distinct disadvantages.
So, which one should you choose, aluminum or steel garage doors? Take a look at the following comparative analysis between these two doors to decide for yourself.
Aluminum garage doors: Pros and cons
Aluminum is one of the metals that is used the most in the world. From the utensils we use in our day-to-day lives, to airplanes, it is used everywhere. Garage doors are not exempt from this, as high-quality garage doors are manufactured using aluminum. Aluminum garage doors have some upsides along with disadvantages which a consumer needs to consider before buying one.
Let’s take a look at all of them.
Pros: The advantages of aluminum garage doors are as follows:
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Doors are lightweight:
One of the biggest reasons aluminum is considered the best material for garage doors is its lightweight. Since this door is so lightweight, they put a lot less stress on the moving parts of a garage door such as the springs, rollers, etc. This makes both the door and the entire system durable and long-lasting.
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They don’t require much maintenance:
Taking care of your aluminum garage door is very easy and very cheap as well. Since they don’t cause the door system to crumble under pressure, you won’t have to worry about replacing the parts that much. Also, cleaning them is a cakewalk as you can just wash them with a hose, or water and a cloth.
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The doors don’t rust or corrode:
Unlike most common materials for garage doors, aluminum is resistant to rusting and corroding. This makes them incredibly desirable to homeowners around the world, especially for those who live in humid and wet weather conditions.
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The metal can be recycled:
One of the biggest headaches of world leaders at present is the waste that is being produced around the world every day and its negative impact on nature. Aluminum doors can be a part of the solution as they can be recycled once they reach the end of their lifespan.
Cons:
Despite a lot of their advantages, aluminum garage doors are not the end all be all when it comes to garage doors. This is because these doors have some distinct disadvantages as well. They are:
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Prone to dents:
The lightweight aluminum garage doors can sometimes work against it, as they can be easily dented by a backing car or children throwing heavy stuff at them. This causes the door to lose its structural integrity.
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Not energy efficient:
Aluminum garage doors are not very good insulators, as a result, they let in a lot of heat during summer and let out the heat inside the garage during winter.
This causes the garage to be extremely warm during summer and the opposite during winter, necessitating an increase in the usage of heating and AC units. As a result, the energy efficiency of the garage goes down a lot.
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They are costly: Aluminum garage door prices
are often the thing that puts people off from buying and installing them in their garage. Compared to steel doors, garage doors made from aluminum can cost quite a lot. The price of an aluminum garage door can reach as much as $7000.
Steel garage door: Pros and cons
Aside from iron, steel is the most used metal in the world. Keeping in line with that, steel garage doors are by far the most common garage doors out there. This is because steel garage doors have a lot of pros going for them. But, on the other hand, they have quite a few disadvantages too.
Let’s take a look at both the pros and cons of steel garage doors to help you decide whether you should buy one.
Pros: Here are the advantages of a steel garage door for you to consider:
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These doors are durable:
Steel garage doors are extremely durable, and can withstand anything from minor bumps by your car, your children playing in and around the garage, and throwing stuff at them, and rough and stormy weather conditions.
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Affordable:
Steel garage doors are one of the most affordable garage doors in the world. You can buy a garage door made of steel for anywhere between $800 and $4000. Also, because of the low price of these doors and steel being a readily available material, steel garage doors are more available than most other of its contemporaries.
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Steel garage doors are versatile:
Steel garage doors are way more versatile than many other garage door materials as a whole host of garage door types can be made from them. These range from sectional ones to rolled-up ones and anything in between.
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The doors are eco-friendly:
Much like aluminum garage doors, the steel from steel grate doors can also be salvaged and recycled. This doesn’t harm nature at all, instead helps conserve it.
Cons:
One of the biggest reasons the steel vs aluminum garage doors debate exists in the first place is the disadvantages of steel garage doors. Here are the cons of these garage doors.
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They are prone to rust and corrosion:
Although steel garage doors are made from galvanized steel, it doesn’t protect the door from rust and corrosion. Eventually, the doors will end up having rust in them and corroding. This makes them very hard to keep for a long time.
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They can be prone to dents:
Despite being quite strong and sturdy, steel garage doors can be susceptible to dents if the pressure put on the door is too much.
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They are bad insulators:
Like their aluminum counterparts, steel garage doors are also bad insulators, which increases the energy consumption of the garage and makes the door energy inefficient.
Here are the key differences between steel and aluminum garage doors:
| Steel garage doors | Aluminum garage doors |
| Are not very expensive | Costlier than steel garage doors |
| Heavyweight | Lightweight |
| Prone to rust and corrosion | Not prone to rust and corrosion |
| Versatile | Less versatile than steel garage doors |
Author’s opinion
If there is anything that we have learned from the above comparative analysis of steel vs aluminum garage doors is that there are no clear winners in this debate. Both these doors have quite a few similarities as well as some striking differences.
If you want a door that is strong, sturdy, and affordable, you can go for a steel garage door. On the other hand, if you want your garage door to be lightweight and rust and corrosion-resistant, then aluminum doors will be your best friend.
In case you are confused about vinyl vs steel garage doors, read this article.
FAQ’s
1. How to tell if a garage door is aluminum or steel?
Steel is a magnetic substance. So, if you stick a magnet or a magnetic accessory on a steel door, it will stick to it. On the other hand, aluminum is not a magnetic substance, hence any magnet or magnetic accessory will not stick to an aluminum garage door.
2. What type of garage door is most durable?
Steel garage doors are one of the most durable ones in the world. These doors are heavy, sturdy, and strong, making them able to withstand a lot of punishment from the weather as well as the usage.
3. What is the safest type of garage door?
The job of a garage door is to provide safety for the inhabitants of the house. Roller doors are by far the safest garage doors out there because of how they operate.
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