A wood garage door is exactly what it sounds like — a garage door made of solid wood, often redwood, cedar, hemlock or even Douglas Fir. In contrast, a wood-look, or faux, wood garage door is a door that has a steel core and then a wood overlay. This gives it the beautiful look of a classic wood door but means that it's lighter and typically less expensive than the real thing.
Their similarities come in look and feel — a good-quality faux wood door will generally be indistinguishable from a wood door from the street. The difference between a wood and a faux wood garage door are typically found in their price point, availability and maintenance needs. For example, a wooden garage door is going to typically be more expensive, take longer to install and going to need extra maintenance to protect it from elements like extreme weather and termites. However, they also come with many benefits that make them the right choice for certain homeowners. While each offers its own set of pros and cons, it's important for homeowners to understand the pros and cons of both options in order to decide which is the best choice for them.