Steel Vs. Vinyl Door

Benefits

Steel doors are mostly known for their strength, durability and resistance to shrinking, swelling and warping. Steel doors can withstand several years of weathering without warping, cracking delaminating or falling apart with minimal maintenance. Vinyl doors are known for their low maintenance and energy efficiency. Vinyl will not rust, dent, rot or peel like doors made of other materials.

Considerations

Before investing in a steel or vinyl door, there are a few things that the consumer should consider. One of the biggest downfalls to owning a steel door is the fact that it can easily dent. Repairing a dent in a steel door can be very difficult and expensive. Steel doors are also very heavy, which may be a negative feature to some people. Vinyl doors may be considered less solid and durable than steel doors. Vinyl doors, while harder to dent, are more likely to scratch than steel.

Features

Steel doors can be embossed to give them wood-grain patterns. Vinyl is also manufactured to mimic the look of wood-grain. Steel doors are often equipped with warranties guaranteeing that they will not rust for several years. Vinyl doors are usually backed up by warranties claiming that they will never crack, corrode, peel, flake, rust or discolor under normal conditions.

Costs

Neither steel doors nor vinyl doors are a cheap investment. Vinyl doors are considerably cheaper than steel doors but they can still run upwards of a few hundred dollars depending on size. The average cost of a garage door made out of steel can cost anywhere between $750 and $1,200 installed.

Insulation

Insulation is another factor that sells some consumers on the idea of steel or vinyl doors. Usually steel doors consist of two steel sheets of metal sandwiching a layer of insulation between them. Traditionally, vinyl doors are manufactured without a layer of insulation. Vinyl doors do not help maintain consistent room temperatures as well as steel doors.