Buyer’s Guide to Choosing a Faux Wood Garage Door

metal garage doors that look like wood

Are you considering replacing your garage door? If so, you might consider installing a faux wood garage door. Many people love the aesthetic of a wood garage door, as it can give a home a natural, warm, rich look. But real wood garage doors aren’t for everyone.

Real wood garage doors tend to be quite a bit more expensive than garage doors made from fiberglass or steel and usually require more maintenance. Fortunately, with a faux wood garage door, you can enjoy the look of a wood door without the expense or regular maintenance.

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What Is a Faux Wood Garage Door?

what is a faux wood garage door

Faux wood garage doors look like real wood but are actually made from different materials, such as fiberglass, composite or steel. What makes a garage door look like wood is wood grain stains. These wood grain stains give steel, composite or fiberglass garage doors the appearance of a rich, warm wood door without the maintenance requirements of real wood.

The material you choose for your garage door will depend on your lifestyle, budget and location, along with the weather conditions in your area and what look best complements the aesthetic of your home. For many homeowners, a realistic faux wood garage door could be the key to making your home stand out and increasing the appeal of your home to potential buyers when the time to sell comes.

What are the Benefits of Faux Wood Over Real Wood?

benefits of faux wood garage door

Faux wood garage doors and real wood garage doors look about the same. Many people can’t tell the difference between the two at a glance. There are some key differences between faux wood and real wood, though, such as cost, required maintenance, durability and the manufacturing process.

1. Cost

A real wood garage door tends to be more expensive than other materials, such as steel, fiberglass or aluminum. For a 16 x 7 double garage door, aluminum doors cost between $3,600 and $5,600, steel doors cost between $920 and $2,200 and wood doors cost between $3,800 and $7,600.

The species of wood also influences the cost of a real wood door. Wood options can include oak, cedar, mahogany, fir, tropical hardwood and redwood. Plywood garage doors tend to be the most inexpensive, but they are also the thinnest and most basic of the wood options. Redwood, on the other hand, tends to be one of the more expensive wood garage doors, as the doors are built with several layers to be more durable and reduce warping. Species such as hemlock and spruce are considered lower-grade woods, while species like mahogany and cedar are considered higher-grade woods and are priced accordingly.

A faux wood garage door is an excellent option for homeowners who want the aesthetic appeal of a real wood door without the hefty cost.

2. Increased Curb Appeal

Since garage doors are already one of the best home renovations for their cost-to-value ratio, a faux wood garage door replacement is a worthwhile investment for many homeowners.

The cost versus value of a garage door replacement is about $3,611 versus $3,520, or 97.5%. A faux wood finish can make an otherwise plain garage door stand out and add to the curb appeal of your home. Many homeowners appreciate the look of wood, so a faux wood door can provide a similar aesthetic. You can also add on faux hardware touches, such as door handles, hinges and latches that can make your door appear even more authentic.

3. Required Maintenance

Because the doors are made from steel or fiberglass, they also require less maintenance than a real wood door. To keep a real wood garage door in its best shape, regular maintenance needs to be performed due to damages caused by weather or other factors. Without regular maintenance, a real wood door can easily fade, warp and crack.

Regular upkeep for a real wood garage door includes an annual fresh coat of stain or paint and sanding. With a faux wood garage door, you won’t have to worry about the expense of regular maintenance. Since faux wood doors are made from fiberglass, steel or composite, they are easy to care for and won’t warp, crack, fade or rot like a real wood door. To care for your faux wood garage door, you can winterize your door in as little as 30 minutes in preparation for the cold season. Inspect your garage door’s springs, examine the weather stripping, lubricate metal parts and check out the automatic reversal system. For any maintenance you don’t feel comfortable handling on your own or simply don’t have the time to tackle, you can give us a call.

4. Durability

Faux wood doors can withstand humidity and extreme temperatures. The durability of faux wood makes it a viable garage door option in several types of climates and regions. Aluminum and steel doors also can’t be chewed through by vermin, unlike wood doors. So if you’ve seen a few pests scampering around your property from time to time, you won’t have to worry about them managing to get into your property through your garage door.

As with a real wood door, you’ll need to repaint your faux wood garage door every few years. Rain, storms, sun and temperatures can get through steel, which means your faux wood garage door will be more difficult to crack or damage, and moisture won’t be able to get inside, which would otherwise cause rotting. Steel doors do tend to be more susceptible to dents, so watch out for anything that could potentially dent your faux wood door.

The average garage door will last about 30 years. As long as you schedule the proper maintenance a door needs, you can keep your faux wood garage door for many years to come.

5. Weight

Real wood garage doors tend to be heavier than other types of garage doors. Because of their significant weight, a real wood garage door often requires additional or special openers and springs to function effectively. Faux wood garage doors are made from lighter materials, making them easier to install, replace and open manually.

For the most part, faux wood garage doors have all the benefits of a real wood garage door without the disadvantages. A high-quality fiberglass door with wood graining and textures can be nearly indistinguishable from a real wood door. Ultimately, your decision to purchase a genuine or imitation wood garage door depends on:

  • Your home. What is the architectural style of your home? What garage door would best align with your home’s architecture and enhance the appeal of your home?
  • Your location’s climate. Do you live in an area with extreme temperatures or a lot of humidity? This may mean that a faux wood garage door is the better choice for you.
  • Your HOA’s rules. Know your HOA’s rules about what you can and can’t do with your garage door. Can you put on new decorative panels? You may have to fill out an application to request a change to your garage door, which could be rejected if your HOA doesn’t believe the door will align with the community’s architecture, color and style.
  • Your budget: Faux wood garage doors are the more budget-friendly option, so you may want to stick with a faux wood door if the cost is a concern.
  • Your preference for a high or low maintenance door: If you want a garage door that doesn’t require a lot of upkeep, you’ll want a faux wood door.

For many homeowners, a faux wood garage door is the right choice.

What Faux Wood Garage Doors Does RCS Offer?

steel garage doors that look like wood

If you’re ready to choose a faux wood door, you have many styles to choose from.

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1. Gallery Collection by Clopay

In our Gallery Collection by Clopay, you can select from several carriage house garage doors, with or without insulation. For these garage doors, we’ve paired a raised panel steel door with a grooved panel design for a vintage feel. For this highly customizable garage door, we also offer decorative windows, wrought iron hardware and Ultra-Grain, Clopay’s faux woodgrain paint finish.

With the Gallery Collection by Clopay, you can choose to install a faux wood carriage house garage door made of durable steel. For the construction of your Gallery Collection garage door, you can choose from:

  • One, two or three layers
  • Intellicore polyurethane insulation of 1-3/8″ or 2″, polystyrene insulation of 1-3/8″ or 2″ or vinyl-backed polystyrene insulation of 1-5/16″
  • High wind load applications
  • Removable window grilles for easy cleaning
  • Replaceable bottom weather seal to protect against weather

In our construction, we also include a rust-prevention system by including a layered, tough coating to protect the steel skin. This rust-prevention system includes a hot-dipped galvanized layer, a metal oxide pretreatment, a baked-on primer and a topcoat.

If you’re looking for a highly-customizable carriage house steel door with a wood look, then the Gallery Collection by Clopay may be the right choice for you.

2. Coachman Collection by Clopay

In our Coachman Collection by Clopay, we offer insulated steel and composite carriage house doors with an authentic look. These garage doors are the perfect blend of practicality and beauty. While they are carriage house doors made of steel, they look like wood due to the woodgrain textured composite overlay –– an excellent way to combine the low-maintenance and durability of steel with the warm, rich appearance of wood.

With our Coachman Collection, you can find a garage door that combines the charm of a swing-out, old-fashioned carriage house door with the convenience of a modern-day overhead garage door.

For the construction of your Coachman Collection garage door, you can select from:

  • Intellicore polyurethane insulation of 2″ or polystyrene insulation of 2″ or 1-3/8″
  • High wind load applications
  • Removable window grilles to make cleaning easy
  • Replaceable vinyl weather seal to protect your garage against the elements

These carriage house doors are made with four layers, including layered coating to protect the steel skin. If you’re looking for a faux wood garage door that is easy to maintain and can stand up to the elements, you may want to select a door from this collection.

Check out our many design and color options to see if the style of the Coachman Collection appeals to you.

3. Canyon Ridge Collection Ultra-Grain Series by Clopay

The Canyon Ridge Collection Ultra-Grain Series by Clopay, features insulated garage doors made of faux wood and Ultra-Grain steel. For a steel garage door with an authentic-looking woodgrain finish, take a look at this collection. These low-maintenance steel doors are covered with a composite overlay that is molded from pieces of real wood to give your door a natural look.

For the construction of your Canyon Ridge Collection Ultra-Grain Series garage door, you can include:

  • Intellicore polyurethane insulation of 2″
  • High wind load applications
  • High-performance rollers that ensure smooth, quiet and long-lasting operation
  • A vinyl bottom weather seal that can protect your garage from weather
  • Removable grilles
  • A garage door safety feature known as Clopay’s Safe-T Bracket to prevent serious injury
  • A rust-prevention system

These garage doors are constructed with four layers, including a clear Cypress faux wood composite overlay and Ultra-Grain paint finish.

You can achieve the look of real wood for your garage door with this Canyon Ridge Collection Ultra-Grain Series that features actual wood pieces and grain patterns that reflect the species of wood the door is emulating.

Browse our selection of residential garage doors for even more faux wood garage door options.

Faux Wood Steel Garage Doors Features

When you select one of our faux wood garage doors, you can also choose from several design features, including color, glass types, panel sizes and more.

  • Short panels or long panels
  • Short solid top section or long solid
  • A variety of door and window designs
  • Glass options, such as frosted, insulated, acrylic, rain, seeded, clear and obscure
  • Decorative hardware options, including clavos, handles, hinges and plates
  • Paint colors for the finish, including black, almond, chocolate, mocha brown, standard white, Ultra-Grain Oak Walnut Finish, Ultra-Grain Oak Medium Finish, Ultra-Grain Oak Dark Finish and Ultra-Gran Oak Slate Finish, Ultra-Grain Cypress Medium Finish, Ultra-Grain Cypress Slate Finish and Ultra-Grain Cypress Walnut Finish, sandtone and desert tan
  • A mix of overlay and base colors for a unique look, such as a sandtone overlay on a white base, a desert tan overlay on a sandtone base or a desert tan overlay on an almond base
  • Window grilles that are removable and easy to clean

With such a wide array of design features to choose from, you can create a faux wood garage door that is perfectly crafted to your home. Your garage door will be truly your own.

Contact RCS for Composite Wood Garage Doors in Charlotte, NC

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Whether you are installing a new garage door or you need repairs on your existing door, RCS Garage Doors is here to help. With 20 years in the industry, we possess a level of experience and expertise that makes us the best garage door installation and repair company in the Charlotte, NC area.

We focus on what our customers want and need to provide you with high-quality work and an unbeatable experience. Whether your new garage door is for your home or business, we review all your options, discuss the strengths of each selection and ensure you love the results.

Homeowners will want a garage door that is attractive, secure and functions well. When weighing your options, you will want to consider your daily routine, your budget, the architectural style of your home and more. Whether you already have a clear vision of your perfect garage door or you need assistance selecting the best option for you, we can help you every step of the way.

Ready to purchase your composite wood garage door? Contact us or call (704) 523-8063 today to ask about our services or schedule an appointment.

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