How to Properly Maintain Your Wood Garage Door
For some homeowners, there is no substitute for a natural wood garage door. Wood has a look, feel and smell that calls to mind classic, rustic architecture, stability and strength. Taking on the responsibility of a wood garage door, however, entails taking on the responsibility of wooden garage door maintenance.
Fortunately, if you know some basic tips for how to maintain a wood garage door, you can enjoy all the benefits of these doors with little difficulty. Here, is what you need to know about cleaning, sealing, staining and general wood garage door maintenance tips.
How to Clean a Wooden Garage Door Properly
Basic cleaning for your garage door is quite simple. Just dip a cloth in hot, soapy water and gently rub the cloth up and down the surface of the door, on both sides. This should pick up all the dust and dirt that may be collecting on the wood. You can do this on a monthly basis or whenever you see dirt buildup. If you are planning on staining your door, you will want to wipe it down first to prepare it and ensure there is no dirt on the door before staining.
Should You Stain or Paint a Wood Garage Door?
What about staining and painting? Is it a good idea to stain or paint your wood garage door, and if so, how frequently do you need to stain or paint it? If you want your wooden garage door to last as long as possible, you absolutely should re-stain or re-paint your wood door from time to time. For best results, you can do this once a year, or even every two or three years if your door seems to be holding up pretty well.
Tips for Sealing and Staining a Wood Garage Door
If you’re going to stain your wood garage door to refresh its appearance and seal it from the elements, here are a few tips on the basic steps to follow. It’s a good idea to start by cleaning the door to get rid of any dust, dirt or other debris. Once the door is clean, you will want to fill in any cracks or imperfections with wood filler. After the wood filler dries, the next step is to sand the door.
Sanding down a door gets rid of any imperfections that time and the elements can subject your door to and create a smooth finish for the new stain or paint. Sanding is a bit time consuming, but it is important if you want the best results.
Once you have sanded your garage door, before applying your paint or stain, make sure to get rid of any mold, mildew or grease by first applying a degreasing spray and then a mildew cleaner where necessary.
Once the cleaning solutions have dried, you can apply your paint or staining procedure. First, cover all areas you want to avoid painting with painters’ tape, such as the handles and windows. Then, lay down a coat of wood primer. After that dries, you can apply your paint or stain. In some cases, you may want to apply an additional coat or two for a more complete, longer lasting look.
How Does the Weather Affect Wooden Garage Doors?
Why do wood garage doors crack? If you’re wondering how to prevent a wood garage door from cracking, you need to be aware of the effects of weather on wood. The dangers of weather on wood doors come from the difference between the temperature on the outside surface of the door and the temperature on the inside.
When the weather is very cold outside, the wood on the outside is contracting while the wood exposed to the warmer air inside is expanding. This results in a phenomenon called bowing, which is not what you want happening to your garage door. The same thing can happen in reverse when it is very cold. If it happens enough, your wood door will experience cracking, warping or even splintering.
A quality sealant can help prevent cracking by slowing the escape of moisture through the door. If your garage door is located in an area that is subject to extreme heat in the summer, you may wish to avoid using a very dark stain, as this will increase heat absorption and make cracking more likely. If your area commonly experiences extreme temperatures, you may want to consider a composite door that has wood-based overlays for the look and feel of wood but has steel that cannot crack and will not bow underneath.
Contact Continental Door for Assistance With Sealing, Staining and Maintaining a Wood Garage Door
If you are located in the greater Spokane area or northern Idaho and need help figuring out the best way to care for your wooden garage door so you will get the most life and the optimal appearance from it, contact Continental Door Co. We can inspect your wooden garage door and come up with a maintenance plan that is suitable for caring for it. We can also help you with choosing and applying stains or seals.
If your wooden door has already cracked or broken in some way, call us for repair or garage door replacement. Our technicians can assess the condition of your door and give you a fair and accurate estimate of the repair or replacement cost. If you decide to replace your wooden door, we have an array of high-quality Clopay® wood doors in a range of styles we can show you. We also have many faux wood-overlay composite doors that combine elements of natural wood look and steel.
Once you’ve chosen your preferred garage door solution, our experts can perform the repair or installation quickly and efficiently and provide you with maintenance tips to help you keep your wood door looking good and in top condition year-round. For a free estimate on your new wood garage door or on garage door repair or to request service, contact us online or call us now at 509-921-2260.
