Clopay Canyon Ridge® and Ultra-Grain Steel wood-look garage doors offer so many design options, it’s hard to imagine not being able to find the right faux wood door for your home.

But there are scenarios where a unique size requirement or even historic preservation guidelines require a different solution.

A historic New Jersey firehouse converted into a personal residence.

Clopay introduced Extira wood composite as an option on our Reserve Wood line in 2019. Since then, it has been a preferred choice for builders and architects weighing the benefits of design and durability when specifying garage doors for their projects, especially when it requires custom details.

Extira paint-grade garage doors deliver the best of both worlds: a low-maintenance material that outperforms paint-grade MDF and many wood species, and complete design freedom.

Many pros ask about the difference between Extira and MDF because they look similar and both are paint-only materials.

Photo courtesy @proverbsthirtyonegirl

Here are four benefits of choosing Extira for your garage door.

1. A More Durable Paint-Grade Option

Extira is an eco-friendly material that is moisture, rot and termite resistant. It is two times stronger than wood, and treated to protect from fungal decay and termites. A proprietary formula of resins, zinc borate, and waxes makes it water-repellant.

2. Looks and Performs Like Real Wood

Extira carves, routs and fastens just like natural wood, giving you the freedom to create detailed designs. The density of the substrate makes it easy to incorporate deep V-groove patterns with defined edges, as well as custom radius arches, for a look that isn’t possible with molded material.

3. No Surface Imperfections

Extira has as a completely smooth surface free of knots and voids often seen in wood. The result is a consistent even finish.

4. A Sustainable Solution

Extira is one of the most ecofriendly composite options on the market. It’s made from leftover wood timbers and resins that resist rot and mold. It has no added formaldehyde, complies with California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Airborne Toxic Control Measure (ATCM) 93120, and has earned GREENGUARD Gold Certification to help building and design teams meet and exceed emissions criteria for green building programs, such as LEED®, Living Building Challenge and ASHRAE.

Extira Close-Up

Extira helped the Southern Living 2021 Idea House construction team realize their vision for vintage garage doors with a true custom arch design. The doors were factory-painted Sherwin Williams “Roycroft Bottle Green” (SW2847).

The doors have the same 4-layer polystyrene insulated construction as Reserve Wood Limited Edition and Custom garage doors to increase comfort and reduce noise in the garage and adjacent living spaces.

Extira cladding and overlays are applied to the exterior face of a 2”-thick hemlock frame just like they are on a custom wood door.


The interior of Extira doors is finished with a smooth luan backer painted the same color as the exterior.

HGTV designer Anthony Carrino originally wanted a Canyon Ridge (5-Layer) carriage house garage door for his historic firehouse renovation project. The only challenge was that the door exceeded the maximum height specifications.

His preference was to avoid the maintenance of a natural wood door, which would be frequent because of the harsh northeast winters, so he went with Extira.

Oversized garage doors are the iconic face of every firehouse so the details and durability had to be exact. Extira was the first wood composite material ever approved for use by the Jersey City historic preservation board.

Another distinctive feature of Extira doors are the proportionally larger windows that are often preferred by architects, builders and homeowners. This door has two rows of windows to balance the extended height.

And four years later, he still loves his Extira doors. Check out his video about the doors below.