If your current garage door is getting old, you need to replace it. A weak or old garage door is a huge vulnerability to your home. However, there are many types of garage doors, including wood and steel. Wooden garage doors are extremely beautiful, but they aren't right for everyone. If you aren't sure if wooden garage doors are right for you, check out these four facts.

They Can Be Expensive

If you have a low budget, you may want to pass on wooden garage doors because they can be expensive. A sectional roll-up wood door can cost between $800 and $2,000, depending on the quality and type of wood. For a custom-built wood door, you may pay $3,000 or more. A roll-up steel garage door costs $750 and $1,200.

There is a cheaper wooden option. A tilt-up wooden garage door costs $400 to $700, making them one of the cheapest options. However, these types of wooden garage doors are often made from plywood, which is not durable. You sacrifice a lot of structural integrity for a low price. It may be a better idea to consider aluminum or steel if you can't afford a roll-up wooden door.

They Require Committed Maintenance

Wood, unfortunately, is prone to a lot of damage. Without proper maintenance, your wooden garage door is susceptible to bug infestation, such as termites, which will destroy the structural integrity of the door. Wooden garage doors can also be vulnerable to weather, including rain, ice and sunlight. Steel and aluminum doors are not prone to these same vulnerabilities. You simply need to keep them clean.

Luckily, although wood requires more maintenance than steel, you mostly only have to worry about two factors: the paint/stain and the weather-stripping. You'll want to keep your door painted or stained with exterior paint/stain to protect against the elements and bugs. You should also keep the weather-stripping intact, so the wood doesn't directly touch the ground.

They Can Be Incredibly Durable

If you do maintain your wooden garage door, you can trust in its durability. The paint and stain will keep most of wood's biggest threats at bay. On top of that, wood is naturally less prone to dents and scratches. Steel and aluminum can easily get scratched or dented if hit with something such as a bike. The thicker the steel, the less likely it is to dent.

If you have a plywood garage door, however, they are likely to dent or even break when hit. Plus, because they are usually tilt-up style, you'll need to replace the entire door if a portion is missing. With roll-up garage doors (both wood and steel) have panels, so if only one panel is damaged, you only have to replace or repair that panel.

They Provide Natural Insulation

One reason steel and aluminum doors dent is because they are hollow. If they weren't, they would be too heavy, which poses a safety hazard. One benefit of this, however, is that you can choose to have insulation added to the inside of the door. Of course, this will likely increase the cost, and it doesn't offer additional durability.

Wooden garage doors are usually solid, which means you can't add insulation to them, but you don't need to add insulation to wood because it offers natural insulating properties without extra cost. If you keep certain items in your garage, such as photos or electronics, or if you have bedrooms above the garage, you want excellent insulation.

Wooden garage doors have many benefits and are beautiful and unique, but they aren't the right choice for everyone. If you believe wooden garage doors are your best choice, or if you want to know more about steel and aluminum doors, contact a garage door company in your area today.