Costs, Safety
Because there are almost limitless ways doors can differ—size, decorative treatments and insulating qualities are just a few of the variables—it's difficult to make accurate price comparisons between types. Generally, steel doors are the most budget-friendly, with wood and plastic models more expensive. Custom work can cost twice as much.
Safety features
On many doors, the joints between door sections now come with shaped edges that push fingers out of the cracks as they close; they're a must for families with kids. Wayne-Dalton's WayneGard finger-saving feature was recognized by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1998 for "its significant advancements in garage-door safety." Such joints are found on steel and plastic doors; wood doors typically have shiplap connections that can pinch down on objects.
In 1993, the federal government set new safety standards for automatic garage-door openers. Among the features manufacturers must now provide are automatic door reverse (if the edge of the door makes contact with an object while closing, the door automatically reverses direction) and an electronic-eye system that sends the door upward if anything breaks the light beam across the door opening.