Thinking about getting a new garage door? Whether you are building a new home or looking to upgrade your garage door, you’ve probably been doing some online research. Right now, you might be deciding between cedar garage doors… or something else. If you read through the information below, you should better grasp whether cedar is the choice for your garage door and the pros and cons.
No garage door is perfect, and cedar doors are no exception. We manufacture and install cedar garage doors at Doorvana, but we know they are not the best fit for every home. According to industry research, less than 10% of all new garage doors are built from cedar or other wood species.
We want to help you make the best decision for your home and lifestyle. There have been countless projects where cedar was not the right garage door material. It may have been budget, design, aesthetics, or maintenance considerations that conflicted with a client, and that is okay. Cedar makes up a small portion of all new garage door sales, so it’s fair to say that cedar is not for everyone.
At the end of the day, we want families to enjoy and be proud of their home — whether or not they choose a Doorvana cedar garage door. Everyone deserves a door that works for them, whether made of cedar, steel, aluminum, or a composite material.
Today, we’ll review the pros and cons of owning a cedar garage door. We’ll make our case for cedar, but you’ll see an honest assessment of why most people do not own cedar garage doors. This can help you decide, “Is a cedar garage door worth it?”
The Benefits (pros) of Cedar Garage Doors
To start, all cedar garage doors are NOT created equal. The upcoming advantages are based on our Doorvana Signature Series garage doors and other well-manufactured cedar garage doors.
Cedar garage doors are highly customizable
One main advantage of cedar garage doors is that they are highly customizable — from a finish and design perspective.
Cedar can be shaped and cut to form nearly any pattern. It takes nails and screws without splitting and is ideal for detailed trim work and custom architectural features. Most cedar lumber has a smooth and rough side, which can easily be stained or painted.
Cedar garage doors are natural and sustainable
Cedar is recyclable, biodegradable, and comes from sustainably managed forests. It is a renewable resource with one of the lowest environmental impacts of all building materials. According to Real Cedar, at least three trees are planted for every harvested Western Red Cedar tree.
Compared to steel, cedar requires much less energy to produce than steel or aluminum. We believe, and most data supports, that cedar is environmentally superior to metal garage door materials.
Cedar garage doors are better insulators
Cedar helps regulate humidity through its moisture-absorbing properties and provides a relatively stable interior temperature in hot and cold conditions. This means your garage temperature will be more stable throughout the year than if you have a metal garage door.
Cedar’s insulation properties:
- Natural cellular structures contain tiny air pockets that trap air and provide natural insulation
- It has a relatively low thermal conductivity (typically around 0.11 W/mK)
- The wood fibers themselves are poor conductors of heat
- The R-value of 1-inch thick cedar is approximately R-1.41
- Maintains relatively stable interior temperatures in both hot and cold conditions
- Common in greenhouse construction for temperature stability
Cedar garage doors are rot and decay-resistant
Cedar can last 40+ years as outdoor siding without treatment and naturally resists termites and other wood-boring insects. It contains natural oils that prevent decay in wet conditions.
Cedar maintains its structural integrity and dimensional stability so it does not warp, shrink, or buckle over time. For overhead sectional garage doors, this is crucial to a smooth operation.
Cedar garage doors can be built to any size
Cedar lumber is available in various sizes, grades, and surface textures to accommodate custom-sized garage doors. Cedar allows us to build garage doors for golf carts, cars, and RVs.
With lengths from 8′ to 18′, cedar provides the flexibility to build horizontal plank doors from continuous boards rather than spliced together.
Cedar garage doors can be refinished
Cedar’s exceptional refinishing capabilities make it a standout choice for long-term installations. The wood can be stripped and refinished multiple times over its lifetime without compromising its structural integrity or appearance. Thanks to its tight grain structure, cedar sands smoothly between refinishes and readily accepts new stains with remarkable evenness, even after removing previous finishes. Even after decades of weathering, proper refinishing can restore cedar to a like-new appearance.
The natural oils in cedar prevent deep staining, making the stripping process significantly more straightforward than in other woods. This versatility allows homeowners to transition between different looks, whether from dark to light stains or vice versa, provided proper preparation techniques are used.
Cedar garage doors are attractive
It is more subjective opinion than fact, but we love cedar garage doors and think they look great. You can browse our garage door gallery to see how beautiful a high-quality cedar garage door can be.
Cedar garage doors come in various styles with multiple hardware, trim, and finish options and can be customized.
Cedar garage doors can increase the resale value of your home
According to the Cost vs Value national averages, a new garage door provides a nearly 100% return on your investment. The 2024 national average was 193.9%, so for every $1,000 spent, your home value would rise by $1,939.
Garage door replacement tops the list of all home improvement projects!
Cedar Garage Door Cons
Cedar garage doors have a lot of advantages, but they are not perfect. Here are some of the most common drawbacks of cedar garage doors.
More maintenance
The oil in cedar keeps stains from penetrating too deeply into the wood, and over time and exposure to the elements, the protective stain breaks down. Most recommendations are to re-stain your cedar garage door every 3-5 years to maximize the door’s lifetime.
More money
Cedar garage doors cost more than contractor-series single-layer steel garage doors. Still, they are comparable in price to high-quality insulated metal garage doors like the Amarr Hillcrest or Clopay Coachman. Cedar doors are typically less than aluminum full-view garage doors like the Amarr Vista or Clopay Avante.
Too rustic
A common complaint about cedar garage doors is that they appear too rustic or modern farmhouse. While we don’t completely agree, we also understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Have questions about cedar garage doors? Call us at 817-500-5988 or click the button below to contact us.
At Doorvana, we manufacture world-class cedar garage doors for builders and homeowners across North America. Feel free also to take a look at our garage door styles to see what we have to offer.
Up Next:
