Steel vs. Wood Garage Doors: A Miami Pro’s Honest Comparison
I stand in driveways across Miami-Dade County every single day. From Coral Gables to Aventura, I see the same dilemma playing out. A homeowner looks at their old, beat-up door and asks me a simple question. "Should I replace this with real wood, or should I just get steel?"
It sounds like a simple choice between style and practicality. It isn’t. In Miami, choosing between steel and wood is about understanding our environment. We live in a soup of humidity, salt air, and intense sunshine. That combination destroys materials that aren’t ready for the fight.
After 20 years in this trade, I have strong opinions on this. I have torn out enough rotted wood doors to fill a stadium. I have also replaced rusted steel doors that weren’t maintained. If you are on the fence, this guide cuts through the marketing fluff. Here is the reality of owning steel vs wood garage doors in South Florida.
The Case for Steel Garage Doors: The Practical Workhorse
Let’s start with steel. About 90% of the installations I do these days are steel. There is a reason for that. Modern steel doors are not the flimsy tin sheets you might remember from the 1980s. They are engineered sandwiches of steel and insulation that can take a beating.
Durability in Hurricane Country
In Miami, we have strict building codes. You know this. Steel doors are generally easier and cheaper to reinforce for hurricane impact ratings. When a storm is brewing in the Atlantic, you want a door that acts like a shield. Steel provides that structural integrity without needing to be six inches thick.
Maintenance Reality
Steel is low maintenance. Notice I did not say "no maintenance." If you live east of US-1 or anywhere near the ocean, salt air is your enemy. You still need to wash a steel door with mild soap and water a couple of times a year. If you don’t, surface rust can start. However, compared to wood, it is a walk in the park. You won’t be out there with a sander and a bucket of stain every twelve months.
Design Versatility
Manufacturers have gotten clever. You can get steel doors stamped with wood grain textures. From the street, they look decent. They hold paint well, and they come in sandwich construction with polyurethane insulation. This keeps your garage cooler, which matters when it’s 95 degrees outside in August.
The Case for Wood Garage Doors: The Aesthetic King
I love the look of a real wood door. Nothing mimics the depth, texture, and smell of genuine cedar, mahogany, or cypress. On a high-end Spanish style home in Coconut Grove, a generic white steel door looks out of place. Wood adds serious curb appeal. But beauty comes at a price.
The Miami Rot Factor
Here is the hard truth. Wood is organic. It wants to absorb moisture. In Miami, the humidity is relentless. If you buy a wood door, you are signing a contract for labor. You must seal, stain, or paint that door regularly. If you skip a year, the sun cracks the finish. Then moisture gets in. Then the wood swells. Then it rots.
I have seen beautiful custom wood doors turn into warped, termite-eaten messes in five years because the homeowner forgot to reseal them. If you are not willing to do the work (or pay someone to do it), do not buy wood.
Weight and Springs
Wood is heavy. A double-car wood door can weigh 400 or 500 pounds. Steel might weigh half that. This means your springs, cables, and opener have to work twice as hard. You will go through torsion springs faster with a wood door. It is just physics.
The Hybrid Solution: Faux Wood Overlays
If you want the look of wood but the guts of steel, look at composite overlays. This is a steel door with a cladding material molded from actual wood pieces. It looks 98% like the real thing. It doesn’t rot. It doesn’t attract termites. It is expensive, often costing as much as real wood, but you save money on maintenance over the lifespan of the door.
Cost Breakdown: What Are You Paying For?
Let’s talk numbers. I can’t give you an exact quote without seeing your opening, but I can give you the ratios.
- Steel: This is your budget-friendly to mid-range option. You get the most bang for your buck here regarding security and insulation.
- Wood: Expect to pay double or triple the cost of a standard steel door. Custom designs go even higher.
- Long-term Cost: Steel wins easily. With wood, factor in the cost of stain, sealant, and faster spring replacement cycles.
Choosing the Right Garage Doors Expert in Miami
Whether you choose steel or wood, the installation matters more than the material. A $5,000 wood door installed poorly will fail in a month. I see it all the time. You have guys driving around in unmarked trucks offering to install doors for dirt cheap. They use the wrong track radius. They don’t balance the springs correctly.
When you hire a pro, check for three things:
- Licensing: Miami-Dade requires proper licensing for this work. Ask to see it.
- Insurance: If they drop that heavy door on your car, who pays? Make sure they carry liability insurance.
- Transparency: A real pro gives you a written estimate, not a number scribbled on a napkin.
Safety & Risks: The DIY Warning
I have to mention safety. I know you might be handy. Maybe you built your own deck. But installing a garage door is different. We are dealing with massive tension in the springs and heavy overhead weights.
If you choose a wood door, the weight makes it incredibly dangerous to install yourself. If a spring snaps during tensioning, it can take a finger off or worse. I have seen the injuries. It is not worth saving a few hundred bucks. Let a professional handle the heavy lifting and the high-tension winding. Your hospital co-pay will cost more than the installation fee.
Final Verdict: Which Should You Buy?
Here is my final advice as a veteran in this industry. If you have a specific architectural need and the budget for professional maintenance, buy wood. It is beautiful and increases property value on luxury homes.
For everyone else, buy a high-quality, insulated steel door. If you want the wood look, get a steel door with a high-end composite overlay or a quality wood-grain paint finish. It will survive the Miami heat, resist the hurricanes, and let you spend your weekends at the beach instead of sanding your driveway door.
Need help deciding? We can bring samples right to your house so you can see the difference yourself. Give us a call at Garage Doors Miami to schedule your consultation.