What Is the Best Wood for Garage Doors?

When choosing a material for your garage doors, wood stands out as a classic and versatile choice. However, not all wood types are created equal, and choosing the right one can make a significant difference in terms of durability, appearance, and maintenance.

Wood can broadly be classified into two categories: hardwood and softwood. Garage doors can be crafted from either type, with a variety of wood options available in each category. This natural diversity allows for a wider range of door designs compared to metal garage doors, which are usually limited to steel or aluminium.

If you’re considering investing in a wooden garage door, you might be wondering which type of wood would best meet your needs. To help you decide, we’ve explored the characteristics of the most popular wood types below.

What Is the Best Hardwood for Wooden Garage Doors?

Hardwood refers to wood that comes from deciduous trees, which are trees that shed their leaves annually. These trees produce seeds with a covering, such as acorns or nuts.

Hardwoods are a popular choice for garage doors thanks to their impressive strength and durability. This strength is attributed to their slow growth rate – for example, the hardwood oak can grow for hundreds of years, while the softwood pine reaches maturity in just 15-20 years. The gradual growth of hardwoods allows their wood to become denser over time, resulting in more cells per unit volume and greater overall strength. As such, hardwood options tend to cost more than softwoods.

Sapele

Native to West Africa, Sapele is a highly sought-after hardwood renowned for its rich reddish-brown hue and intricate grain pattern. It’s a dense and stable wood, offering excellent dimensional stability and resistance to warping, shrinking, and cracking. This makes it a superb choice for garage doors that are subjected to the elements and require consistent strength. Its benefits include:

• Rich, reddish-brown hue
• Intricate grain pattern
• Dense and stable structure
• Resistance to warping, shrinking, and cracking
• Durability against moisture and weather
• Takes stains and finishes beautifully

 Iroko

Iroko is another exceptional hardwood for garage doors. Originating in West Africa and Southeast Asia, it possesses a warm, golden-brown colour and exhibits a prominent grain pattern with a slight reddish undertone. Its dense structure and high density make it incredibly strong and durable, capable of withstanding the rigours of daily use and outdoor exposure. Here are some of its advantages:

• Warm, golden-brown hue
• Pronounced grain pattern
• Dense and strong structure
• High resistance to rot, decay, and insects
• Takes stains and finishes beautifully

European Oak

As the name suggests, European Oak is native to Europe. It’s a versatile hardwood that has been used for centuries in construction and woodworking. It features a rich, dark brown colour and a distinctive interlocked grain pattern, giving it a timeless appeal. European Oak is also remarkably durable and can withstand heavy use and exposure to the elements. Its pros include:

• Rich, dark brown colour
• Distinctive interlocked grain pattern
• Durable and strong structure
• Resistance to rot, decay, and insects
• Takes stains and finishes beautifully
• Can be left unfinished for a natural aesthetic

 What Is the Best Softwood for Wooden Garage Doors?

Softwoods refer to a category of wood that comes from gymnosperm trees, which are plants that produce seeds without enclosing them in fruits. Softwoods are typically lighter and weaker than hardwoods, but high-quality types can still offer years of durability at a much lower price point.

Among the various softwoods available, redwood stands out as the top choice. It hails from the coastal areas of California, Oregon, and Washington, and is famous for its gorgeous reddish-brown colour, straight grain, and impressive resistance to weathering. Its tight cellular structure and a generous dose of natural resin make it excellent at fending off moisture, rot, and insects, resulting in a garage door that stands the test of time.

Options like pine and hemlock can do the job, but redwood’s unmatched weather resistance and natural beauty make it the perfect option if you’re looking for a softwood door that not only lasts but also adds a touch of charm to your home.

Upgrade Your Garage With Premium Hardwood or Softwood Garage Doors

At Wooden Garage Doors, we specialise in handcrafting premium-quality, made-to-measure doors from both hardwood and softwood. Our master craftsmen expertly shape each door to match your garage’s character, taking great care to achieve the most visually stunning results.

After deciding on your preferred door style, you can choose from a variety of beautiful, sustainably sourced woods, including all of the types covered above. We’ll then apply time-honed techniques to produce a door of exceptional durability, with a fit and finish designed to last for decades to come.

We provide a full installation service in Dorset and surrounding counties, and a delivery-only service to most areas of mainland UK. If you’re ready to get started, get a quote online or give us a call on 01202 670770 today!