On Sun, 31 Mar 2013 19:20:12 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 3/31/2013 5:52 PM, wrote:
...

Fiberglass overhead doors suck. They're translucent and very light
(easy to damage). Aluminum will cost an arm and a leg and probably
still not be strong enough. If I were buying a new door it would be
steel (probably with insulation and interior panels to quiet it some).

There are two Raynor fiberglass OH doors here that are at least 40 yr of
age and are still just fine. They aren't particularly attractive,
granted, but it's a standalone garage on a farmstead so that doesn't
bother me much (as in any). And, the translucence is kinda a nice thing
from a light standpoint if there isn't sufficient other light.

My mother had one in her house, thirty years ago. What a PITA. It
was always breaking. Illumination in the daytime was fine but not so
nice the other way around at night. You could see shadows from
everything in the front half of the garage.

I'll pass. Steel is so much better.

OTOH, there are also fiberglass OH doors of the ilk of residential
exterior doors that are can be quite attractive and not at all
insubstantial (of course, the price isn't, either, but none of anything
that aren't just cheap are).

Fiberglass entry doors are nice. Overhead, not so much. Having had
every type of OH door, I far prefer steel, with (*real*) wood being a
close second. The only real problem with wood is its weight.