Have you ever taken a second to gaze at your garage roller door and visualize how it’d look if you replace it with a material that complements your home?

It’s ok if you haven’t, you at least still have something to look forward to!

Whether you’re a homeowner, or the owner of a fine establishment that relies on roller doors for whatever reason, using the right materials for your rollers can have a huge aesthetic and (in many cases) financial benefit on your part.

It’s like knocking down two birds with one stone – improving your property’s aesthetics all the while increasing its value. So, we’ve taken the liberty of creating a brief list of the materials available to you to use on your roller doors – we hope this helps!

 

Wood

As it has been for a long time now, wood is by far the most attractive and authentic material for garage doors, and is understandably an expensive investment for home and business owners.

Wood is resistant to wear and tear, but needs frequent servicing and refinishing – wood also doesn’t last as long as other roller door materials.

Wood and wooden composite roller doors are very easy to customize to give you the ultimate personalized product. Composite doors offer you the same feel you’d get with regular wood but weigh less and are easier on the wallet. They’re best used on giant double doors.

 

Steel

The best steel doors are made up of two layers of galvanized steel. They require less maintenance than wood, but are vulnerable to rusting and denting. To reduce the risk to your door, we recommend that you choose a 24- or 25-gauge steel roller, or one with a fiberglass overlay which can resist rust and dents.

 

Aluminum

Because aluminum is extremely lightweight, this garage door material is best for extra wide double doors. The newer models are sturdier and heavier than previous versions of aluminum roller doors and feature laminated panels that are dent-resistant.

Aluminum doors also come with a steeper price tag if you choose the ones with heavy-duty frames, but you can find cheaper options that have panels made from other materials. These, however, will easily dent.

 

Fiberglass

Fiberglass is malleable and can thus mimic all of the other materials in this list. You have the option of choosing a fiberglass door that gives you the same benefits as a wooden one, or a transparent one that allows you to work wonders with sunlight.

Fiberglass, however, is susceptible to a degradation that changes its colour and can break easily over time when exposed to cold weather.

 

Vinyl

Vinyl doors are referred to as the choice child-proof roller door material because it’s extremely hard to dent or break.

Vinyl is a bit like fiberglass in its makeup, but is more durable and only requires the occasional hose-down and scrubbing. The only disadvantage with vinyl is that you have limited colour and design options.

 

Pro-tip:  Many roller doors are advertised as energy-saving or heavily insulated, but this isn’t necessarily a good thing for property owners. In most cases where homeowners use their garage for storage or parking, insulation isn’t needed and may actually trap harmful fumes and chemicals inside.

Only insulate your garage door if you employ your garage as an additional room in your house.

 

If you’d like more assistance with choosing the right material for your roller doors, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us – we’re always happy to help!