Lots of people believe replacing the front door increases your home’s curb appeal and market value, but that’s not exactly true. The garage door is significantly larger, more visible and probably has a greater impact on first impressions. And nothing makes a better impression than a well-maintained wooden garage door.

Nothing, that is, except a door that looks so much like wood that you can’t tell the difference. That’s the idea behind faux wood, i.e. wood that isn’t real. But that “fauxness” isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Faux wood doesn’t mean the same thing to all garage door dealers. To some, it means embossed vinyl or aluminum sheeting on a steel frame. It’s difficult to mistake these materials for wood, however, especially when you get up close.

Top-quality faux wood doors made from plastic resin or fiberglass, like those featured at Artisan Custom Doorworks, are more convincing.

What Is a Faux Wood Garage Door?

A faux wood garage door is made from a synthetic material engineered to look like wood. Those synthetics include epoxy resin, urethane resin and fiberglass, i.e. epoxy or urethane resin reinforced with fiberglass strands. Doors made with these are typically tinted with wood-tone colorants that extend all the way through the material.

Vinyl and aluminum can also be molded with a wood texture. But they’re also thin, bendable and require a metal frame for stability, so they don’t look as realistic. Some manufacturers mount composite wood on a steel frame to make doors that look like wood. But since composites are made of actual wood, they form a category of their own.

The first garage door was patented in 1921. In the first half of the 20th century, most were wood. Manufacturers began experimenting with alternative materials in the 1970s — galvanized steel first, then aluminum, vinyl and fiberglass. To match increasingly sophisticated architectural designs, they molded and colored these materials to look like wood, with plastic resins and fiberglass the most realistic.

Faux Wood Garage Door Pros

For a faux wood garage door to look like wood, the material must be textured with a wood grain and colored with a permanent wood tone. Any door with these qualities has these advantages over real wood:

• Lightweight: Most synthetic materials are lighter than wood. That makes the door easier to open with less strain on the automatic door opener.
• Weather resistant: Unlike wood, metals and synthetic materials won’t rot or warp. Metal doors can rust, but you can control that with paint.
• Low maintenance: Faux wood doors are easy to keep clean and generally don’t support mold and mildew growth. Some materials, including plastic resins, fiberglass and vinyl, never need painting. Because the color extends all the way through these materials, scratches usually aren’t visible.
• Longevity: Faux wood doors outlast real wood. A wood door may carry a 20-year warranty, while plastic resin, fiberglass and vinyl doors are often guaranteed for life.
• Cost: Virtually all faux wood doors cost less than real wood. Depending on factors like design and insulation, the price difference may not be that great.

Faux Wood Garage Door Cons

Faux wood doors are a mid-range price option, less expensive than wood but more expensive than non-embossed steel, fiberglass or vinyl. They offer the possibility of a wood substitute, but do have drawbacks:

• Artificial: You can’t get around the fact faux wood isn’t wood. Some doors may look more realistic than others, but all look synthetic to some degree.
• Insulation: Metals and plastics lack the insulation value of wood. In cold climates, faux wood doors need to include a core of foam insulation to keep the garage warm.
• Vulnerable to damage: Faux wood materials are more easily damaged than wood. Impacts can dent metals like steel, aluminum and vinyl, and materials like vinyl, plastic resin and fiberglass can turn brittle and crack in cold weather.
• Limited customization: Manufacturers usually offer fewer personalized options than with wood. It’s also more difficult to modify a faux wood door after installation.

A Faux Wood Garage Door Is for You If…

A faux wood garage door is a good investment if you want more style than a plain metal or vinyl door can offer but don’t have the budget for a wooden door. It’s also a great option for those who love the look of wood but live in conditions, like full sun or high humidity, that can make wood fade, crack, swell and warp.