Nothing lasts forever. Isn't that what they say? And it's true. Lots of people in Littleton ask us “how long do garage doors last?”- especially when they’re investing in a new garage door installation. They want to know when they'll find themselves in this same situation again. It's not an unreasonable question to ask, and in this article, we're going to provide you with a rough answer, as well as discuss some of the factors that can have a big impact upon how long your garage door will remain functional, as it’s not a straightforward question to answer. There are lots of variables involved.
How Long Will Your New Garage Door Last?
You only have to look at the warranties offered by garage door manufacturers to understand that the life expectancy of a garage door can vary tremendously. Most will only guarantee their products for the first three years – after that, you’re on your own. And then there are all of the factors that can affect how quickly the condition of your door deteriorates (we’ll cover those in more depth later), such as the material the door is made from, the quality of construction, the local climate, how often it is used, as well as whether proper maintenance is carried out at the necessary intervals.
All of this has been a long-winded way to say “it depends”. But if we’re pushed to give a ballpark estimate of how long your new garage door installation might last, we’d say somewhere between 15 and 30 years. We’ve seen property owners in Littleton who have owned their doors longer than that, and we've seen some that have had serious problems before the 15-year mark. But on the whole, the typical lifespan would fall somewhere in that range.
Common Garage Door Materials and Their Life Expectancies
Now we’re going to zone in on the different materials that a garage door can be made from and how this impacts life expectancy. This is one of the main factors in our experience.
Steel Garage Doors (20-30 Years)
Steel is one of the most commonly used materials and can last a long time provided you keep up with maintenance. The two major weaknesses of this material are that it's prone to rust and it can easily be bent out of shape. Protect it against those two risks, and your door will make for a good investment.
Aluminum Garage Doors (20-30 Years)
Aluminum has one big advantage over steel in the world of garage doors – it doesn’t rust. That’s a big advantage if local conditions are somewhat damp throughout the year. But aluminum is a lot lighter than steel, which does make them easier to lift if you open and close the door manually, but means they’re less resistant to bumps and bangs. How careful are you with your garage door?
Wood Garage Doors (15-30 Years)
While they can be stunning – some of the most attractive garage doors I’ve ever seen have been made from wood – this is a material that needs to be carefully looked after. If you make the effort, wood garage doors can last as long as garage doors made from other materials. But if you don’t, wood may well be the worst material you could opt for if you’re looking for a long lifespan.
Fiberglass Garage Doors (20-30 Years)
Fiberglass is a material that has really come to the fore in recent years and is great at resisting weather damage, but it’s not as good at resisting strong impacts. If you open and close the door manually, it might be a bigger risk to go with fiberglass, as should the door fall (it does happen), it may not be in great condition afterward.
Vinyl Garage Doors (20-30 Years)
Vinyl offers a wide range of benefits, resisting weather damage well, and is very low maintenance. In that sense, it's very much like fiberglass, but is a lot more durable and is more likely to last to the top end of the lifespan expectancy we've listed here.
Other Factors Affecting Garage Door Longevity
We’ve touched on the different materials and now we’re going to talk about some of the other factors that can greatly impact how long your new garage door installation might last.
Construction Quality
Ever heard that expression “buy cheap and buy twice”? Well, that applies to garage doors too. The doors on the cheaper end of the spectrum are less likely to last for the long-haul as the quality of the construction is inferior, and therefore their ability to resist weather damage, impacts and daily use is lower. Generally speaking, the more you pay for a new garage door, the longer it should last. That's not always the case, but is a good general rule to go by.
Local Weather Conditions
The more extreme the weather conditions the door is subjected to, the shorter its lifespan will be. For example, if you experience bitterly cold winters, extremely hot temperatures in summer, lots of humidity and rain, this will definitely have a negative impact on how long the door lasts. The more stable the weather conditions, the better.
Daily Use
Are you opening and closing your garage door several times each day? If so, this puts a lot of extra pressure on the door and all the components that allow it to perform these actions. The more you use the door, the quicker you can expect it to “wear out” and will have to either invest in garage door repair or pay for a new garage door completely.
We hope this article has helped you get a better understanding of how long you can expect your new garage door installation to last. If you have any more questions or would like to enquire about an installation in Littleton, get in touch with us today.