When selecting the material for your Wayne Dalton garage door, it’s important to consider not only your budget and style preference but also the climate of the area in which you live. Certain materials don’t do well in rainy or humid climates while others can require more maintenance when exposed to freezing temperatures. The team at NationServe has put together a guide to indicate the best garage door materials by climate type so you can figure out which ones work best in your region.

HEAT AND HUMIDITY

If you live in a place that gets very humid, you’ll need a material that can handle a lot of moisture in the air. One of the best choices for garage doors in areas with hot, humid summers like Charlotte or Raleigh North Carolina, is Wayne Dalton’s designer fiberglass series. Lightweight and highly customizable, fiberglass can be made to look like wood but offers more insulation and requires less maintenance. Fiberglass doors are ideal for keeping the interior of your garage cool in the summer while boosting your home’s curb appeal with their attractive designs. Plus, fiberglass won’t corrode in salty sea air, making it a great choice for coastal regions and beachfront properties in particular. 

If you live in a humid climate and have your heart set on a real wood door, go for redwood or some other type of cedar, as this type of wood can handle moisture well and won’t split or rot easily. Wood garage doors add classic elegance to your home and are often the first choice among our customers with older homes. Although wood requires some upkeep and is susceptible to weather damage, with the right care these garage doors can be functional and durable as well as beautiful.

DRY HEAT

Fiberglass is also a good option for garage doors in hot, arid climates like Tucson or Tempe because it keeps the cool air inside and won’t crack in the extreme dry heat. However, it’s best to avoid wood doors in a desert climate as the constant exposure to hot, dry air will crack and warp the wood over time.   

Other good choices for garage doors in dry climates include classic steel and specialty vinyl, both of which can stand up to the heat and aridity. And while specialty glass garage doors are fragile and not very insulating, they can be an excellent choice for homes in dry places with relatively temperate climates like Colorado Springs. If you want to be able to get spectacular mountain views and abundant natural light in your garage, our sleek and stylish glass doors are the way to go.

SNOW AND FREEZING TEMPERATURES

If you live in an area where the temperature regularly drops below freezing, such as Cincinnati or Spokane Valley, you’ll want a garage door that has strong insulating properties. Steel, although not very insulating on its own, can be reinforced with other materials to create a solid barrier between the inside of your garage and the outside elements. However, over time steel can start to corrode if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow or rain. 

Vinyl, the most affordable of the garage door materials we offer, is also one of the best choices for colder climates as well as most places with extreme weather and heavy precipitation. It’s extremely insulating, durable, and resistant to sand, salt, wind, snow, rain, and even hail. It’s also an eco-friendly choice as vinyl is 100% recyclable.

Keep in mind that although fiberglass is a great option for hot climates, it’s not the best choice for cold places as it can crack when exposed to below-freezing temperatures. Likewise, wood garage doors are likely to suffer damage in places with heavy precipitation throughout the year, as they can be prone to rot and mold.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT MATERIAL: THE FIRST STEP IN THE DESIGN PROCESS

All of the materials that we offer at NationServe are highly customizable and available in a wide variety of colors and styles. No matter which material you pick, you’ll be able to find a door with the look and level of insulation (R-value) that you’re looking for. To get started on designing your garage door, head to our design center, where you can explore customization options for each of the different materials of garage doors which we offer. You can even upload a picture of your home to get a sense of which materials and designs will go well with your home’s overall aesthetic.