Are you considering purchasing vinyl garage doors but don’t know much about this material? This is going to change within the next few minutes! We understand that the plethora of garage door materials on the market is a good thing. We, consumers, have choices. But when it’s actually time to choose, we need to know details that will have an impact on our lives. Right?
Like all other materials, vinyl has its pros and cons. And although the pros outnumber the cons, it’s wise to know the disadvantages of vinyl before you buy a garage door – that’s to avoid surprises later. So, let’s get down to it.
How much do you know about vinyl – let alone vinyl garage doors?
Let’s start with the obvious question: what’s vinyl? In short, viny is plastic. It’s PVC. It’s a man-made synthetic material made of ethylene (crude oil substance) and chlorine (found in salt). When the two substances are processed together, they form PVC, that’s a polyvinyl chloride resin, which is broadly known as vinyl. For the record, it was discovered (accidentally) in 1920 and since then it’s been widely used in nearly all industries – from the known vinyl records and vinyl flooring to the construction of garage doors.
Consequently, vinyl garage doors are not composite garage doors and contain no wood grains. The material can be cut and formed in any shape and so arched doors can be created. To give you a general overview, vinyl garage doors are lightweight, resistant, affordable, and strong. Let’s see all these advantages in greater detail.
Advantages of vinyl garage doors
• Durability
One of the greatest benefits of installing vinyl garage doors is that you don’t worry about dents. Vinyl is particularly durable. Even if it’s dinged, the paint doesn’t peel because the color of the vinyl garage doors goes through and through the material’s skin during the construction and so possible scratches do not make a difference.
• Resistance
Vinyl is resistant to salt, UV rays, moisture, humidity, insects, et cetera. In other words, vinyl garage doors do not warp, rot, twist, or get infected by mold or affected by moisture.
• Easy maintenance
Thanks to the high resistance of the material, the garage door is easily cleaned and hardly needs maintenance.
• Affordable
Although the price of a garage door depends on many factors – the size, the opener, the features, the hardware, et cetera, overall vinyl is an affordable choice.
• Nice looking
Vinyl garage doors are nice looking and can be personalized to meet your home style with the right hardware, windows configuration, and color. Some have a wood finish look too – if you like this style.
• Eco-friendly
Viny is friendly to the environment because it can be recycled, is strong and so not replaced regularly, and its basic ingredients are natural.
• Lightweight
Since they are lightweight, vinyl garage doors do not put pressure on the parts. And so, the garage door opener, the cables, and the springs are not easily stressed. They don’t cost much either – since you don’t need to get super-strong ones thanks to the light load of the door.
The downsides of vinyl garage doors
• Insulation is a must
Since everyone is interested in energy efficiency these days, the vinyl garage doors should be insulated. The material is not a natural insulator, like wood garage doors.
• Color limitations
The vinyl garage door color choices are limited. There are a few options but that’s it. And since the color goes in the skin of the material, repainting the garage door is challenging.
What’s the ideal climate for vinyl garage door installation?
Due to the high durability and resistance of the material, vinyl garage doors hold well under all weather conditions. They can be placed next to the coast, survive the beating of hard winters, stand the heat of the intense sun, and resist even high moisture. But (there’s a but) they become more fragile in regions with extreme climates. And when they become brittle, they can easier get dented.
How to keep a vinyl garage door in good shape
Once again, the high resistance of vinyl to nearly everything is what makes garage door maintenance easy. The door can be easily washed and cleaned, while some models have easy-to-clean surfaces which repel dust and debris. The important thing is to regularly check the garage door parts. That’s what makes the difference to the garage door’s longevity and performance. But since they don’t stress much due to the door’s lightweight, this will only be a usual visual test – just in case.
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