Plastic garage doors

Garage doors are made of a variety of materials. Wood, steel, aluminium and plastic, there is something to be said for all of them. Lately, plastic garage doors in particular have been increasing in popularity. This is not surprising. These doors offer a lot of advantages and score high when it comes to price/quality ratio. In this article, we explain why choosing a plastic garage door is an excellent option.

What does a plastic garage door cost?

For plastic garage doors, you pay a lot less than when the same door is made of wood. That is why choosing a plastic garage door is attractive to many people. By the way, the price does not only depend on the material. Of course, the size and type of garage door also play a role. For instance, sectional, tilt, roller and French doors are available. There is also a diverse range of different brands. As with other products, you will pay more for one brand than another. For the popular plastic sectional garage door, you should roughly count on an average price of £1,100. That includes VAT and installation.

Are plastic garage doors 100% made of plastic?”

Before we get into the question of why you should buy a plastic garage door in detail, it’s good to clear up a misunderstanding first. Garage doors are almost never made of plastic alone. Generally, it is a combination where there is steel on the inside which is then finished with a layer of PVC on the outside. This is the case, for example, with the horizontal or vertical panels of a sectional garage door. So you have the best of both worlds. Thanks to the steel, you can rest assured that your door is sturdy, while the PVC provides a nice contemporary look. That plastic offers many more advantages, you will see when you read on.

Do plastic garage doors last?

We can answer that question with a resounding yes. Weather and wind do not affect the material. This is in contrast to wood. Even if your door is made of the best type of wood, there may come a time when wood rot occurs. Other inconveniences such as mould or warping can also occur. Especially if you haven’t spent much time on maintenance, this could land you on an expensive renovation. So with a plastic garage door, you won’t have to deal with that. You will benefit from your one-off investment for many years.

Does this mean that a plastic garage door is maintenance-free?

Yes indeed, you can safely put it that way. The material is so strong that you don’t need to do anything to it. Rain, snow, but also sunlight have no influence. Your plastic garage door will not discolour. The only thing you need to do once in a while is to clean the door. Bird droppings, dirty hands, dust, mud splashes, you really should remove that yourself. But this ‘maintenance’ has everything to do with the appearance and not the quality of the material. Furthermore, you can spend your time on other things than worrying about the physical state of your garage door.

You don’t have to paint a plastic garage door either, then?

No indeed, that is not necessary. These types of garage doors are available in all kinds of colours. You can choose from a whole range of so-called RAL colours. So you will always find the right shade to match the rest of your home. In addition, an extra layer of structured film can be applied to the door. If you want your garage door to look like it is made of wood, plastic is the way to go. In that case, you go for a film with a grain structure. This is virtually indistinguishable from real wood.

When a garage is in use as a hobby room, can you keep the heat in?”

That’s fine. You should then choose a double-walled garage door. This provides enough protection from the cold from outside and keeps it warm inside. For instance, doors are available with an insulation value of iso-20 (comparable to double glazing) and iso-45 (almost equivalent to a cavity wall). Plastic garage doors are hardly inferior to wooden doors in this respect. Wood naturally insulates very well. With both plastic and wooden doors, you save considerably on heating costs.

So are plastic garage doors environmentally friendly?

Saving on your energy consumption certainly contributes to a better environment. In any case, it is not environmentally unfriendly. But there is more that makes plastic garage doors eco-friendly. It was mentioned earlier that plastic is a durable product that lasts a long time. Besides, it is also 100 per cent recyclable. This makes it an excellent alternative to wood which, after all, cannot be used indefinitely either. The fact that fewer and fewer trees are being cut down is a direct result of the fact that further deforestation has a major impact on the environment worldwide.

Is it easy to assemble a plastic garage door?

When you look at the brochures and manuals of garage door suppliers, you would get that impression. You often read that you can easily install the door yourself. Still, there is no harm in having your garage door fitted by a recognised installer. After all, you want to make sure it fits and functions perfectly.

Actually, the type of material does not make much difference when it comes to installation. However, each type of door does require a different approach. This has everything to do with space. Sectional doors, for example, turn inwards along the ceiling or through the side wall. So you need to take this into account beforehand. French doors or up-and-over doors, on the other hand, take up more outside space. Do you need a custom-made door? Plastic is a material that is easy to customise and can be supplied in the sizes and shapes you want.

Which type of garage door is best suited to plastic?

Both opening and sectional garage doors are perfectly suited. Ultimately, that choice depends on your own taste and preferences. If you are going for a 100% rustic and authentic look then real wood, especially in the case of French doors, is of course the most obvious choice. Plastic, however, is a much cheaper and more durable alternative. Plastic is especially popular for a sectional garage door. It provides a modern look, insulates well and is little loved by burglars. When you start comparing different providers, you will see that many sectional garage doors are made of plastic.