Fiberglass garage doors are not as common as garage doors that are made of wood, steel or aluminum. These doors consist of aluminum frames mixed with fiberglass panels. Some prefer this material over conventional alternatives, because fiberglass is lighter, and relatively cheaper, but not the best choice. The characteristics of these garage doors differ substantially from the ones displayed by this material in itself.
Disadvantages While fiberglass is dent resistant, garage doors made of this material are not and therefore are prone to the slightest dents from your car. Fiberglass doors provide poor insulation, especially during winter, which is not the case when compared to fiberglass insulation that is considered to be highly efficient. These doors begin to turn yellowish brown with age. These doors warp and crack easily during both cold and hot climate, which makes it obvious that the garage doors do not last too long and need to be replaced earlier, as compared to those made of steel. These doors cannot withstand strong winds and are not suitable in coastal zones with high frequency winds. These areas do not get the required building code approval for fiberglass doors, etc., as they are considered much below the expected standards of construction materials. However, recently newer and better quality fiberglass products have begun to appear in the market, which boast of the following improvements.
Advantages These are made to mimic the look and texture of wood, they now come in the patterns of different wood as well, such as oak, mahogany and cherry wood. The new models have a steel framework under the fiberglass panels that gives the garage doors more resistance from the wear and tear brought on because of constant use. The heat transfer resistivity has been improved by the R-value special foam cores that are covered with air pockets. These air pockets reduce the heat transmission that is allowed to pass through it. This material work excellently in tropical areas where they efficiently resist the corrosion caused by salt saturated air that flows from the oceanic shores. Painting Fiberglass Garage Doors
Repairing, repainting, and reglazing fiberglass is an expensive and time-consuming procedure. Fiberglass doors start looking timeworn after a year and a half. Most paint shops as well as professionals recommend that for painting fiberglass, a good brand of primer and latex paint must be used. Primer brands such as universal latex primer and XIM primer are excellent for this purpose. As far as the brand of latex paint is concerned, Mooreguard is considered to be the most efficient because of its moderate elasticity. You must first clean the garage door with soap water and wipe it dry.
Select a non-windy and less humid day for painting your door, so that neither does the dust settle on the wet paint and nor does the paint become gooey, due to excessive heat. Apply a coat of primer on the garage door and once it has dried, apply the latex paint coats.
The period of warranty offered for these doors is about 1-2 years. On the other hand, steel garage doors can last up to 18-20 years sometimes, and have proven to provide better insulation. The propitious argument would be that it is better to opt for more expensive materials that last longer and are more resistant to wear and tear.
