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Basic Steel Garage Door Construction

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Learn the basics of steel garage door construction.

Steel garage doors are among the most popular types of garage doors on the market. They’re relatively price friendly, come in a variety of styles and colors, and are low maintenance. However, steel is susceptible to rust and dents.

Steel garage doors are available in single, double, or triple layer construction. The addition of insulation helps add rigidity to the door and also helps to increase the R-value and decrease heat loss. The type of garage door you choose often depends on your needs and what you use your garage for.

3 Layers of Steel Garage Doors

Single Layer Steel Door

Often referred to as a pan door, or a Model 100 at Precision, single-layer steel garage doors are the most basic model you can get. It’s name implies what it is, which is a single layer of steel with no insulation or backing. As is true with most steel garage doors, this material requires little maintenance and just has to be washed about once a year.

Because of its basic structure, it is not strong and can dent easily. The lack of insulation in the door means it offers no R-value and will not keep your garage warm. There is little rigidity to the door, so when it is opened or closed, it can be pretty noisy. Therefore, a single-layer steel door is not always the best choice for homes with an attached garage, especially if there is living space above or around the garage. If temperature and noise aren’t an issue, which is most often the case with a detached garage, this is a good door for you.

Double Layer Steel Doors

An improvement of the pan door is the double layer steel door, or Model 200 at Precision, which has a layer of vinyl coated polystyrene attached to the steel front. The insulation in this door offers an R-value of 6 which is relatively low. The insulation also offers more rigidity than you can get with the Model 100, so it’s not as noisy. It can be used in a garage that is attached to a home where there are living spaces above and/or around the garage. It can still be dented so this isn’t a great choice for an active driveway.

Triple Layer Steel Doors

This door has a steel front like the others, a polyurethane insulated middle, and a steel back. Of the three steel doors, the triple layer is the most sturdy and quiet and offers the highest R-value. A triple layer door is the most popular choice for a home where the garage is attached and there are living spaces above and/or beside the garage.

Now in this article, we’ve mentioned two types of insulation: polystyrene and polyurethane. While there is much to say about these materials, that’s for another article. We just want to mention that the biggest difference between these two insulating materials is their ability to resist denting. Polystyrene insulates like a foam cooler and can fall apart easily if handled roughly. Polyurethane insulation is a dense injected foam that will resist dents and is only available on the triple layer steel door.

With so many different kinds of doors on the market, you are sure to find the one that's best for your home. When choosing your garage door, just be sure to take your wants and needs into consideration.