Anyone ever build a garage door?

[Victor Robinson]

So I'm looking at our old wooden garage door (single bay) and thinking, gosh a replacement sure would be nice. It's just a bunch of frame and hardboard panels held together with hinges and rollers. Doesn't seem like it would be terribly difficult to reproduce with a nicer look, but I imagine the re-install would be tricky. Not to mention I wouldn't want to mess with that darn spring... :eek:

Just wondering if anyone has done this and whether it's more trouble than it appears to be.

[peter gagliardi]

So I'm looking at our old wooden garage door (single bay) and thinking, gosh a replacement sure would be nice. It's just a bunch of frame and hardboard panels held together with hinges and rollers. Doesn't seem like it would be terribly difficult to reproduce with a nicer look, but I imagine the re-install would be tricky. Not to mention I wouldn't want to mess with that darn spring... :eek:

Just wondering if anyone has done this and whether it's more trouble than it appears to be.

I have built a few. It is straightforward. Mortise and tenon throughout, and pay attention to water shedding details through the build. Pick durable wood.

[John RStegall]

garage door. I built the type you are talking about 55+ years ago. It wasn't difficult but I would do the carriage door today.

[Alex Snyder]

I've been thinking the exact same thing Victor. But I have been wondering if it makes sense to do any kind of insulation in the build?

[Lee Schierer]

I built one for our detached garage. I made the panels from T111 plywood and the rails and stiles were regular 2 x 4's. It lasted for more than 20 years. In hind site I should have used treated lumber for the rails and stiles, making sure the outside surfaces were sloped to shed water and the joint faces sloped so water would run to the outside. Here is what it looked like.
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[Victor Robinson]

I've been thinking the exact same thing Victor. But I have been wondering if it makes sense to do any kind of insulation in the build?

I guess that would depend where you live. In my case, there's really minimal need for garage door insulation. I don't have it currently and have never felt the need for it. However, if I lived somewhere cold I'd look at making the panels slightly thicker and sandwiching rigid foam between ply skins. Not sure if that would be worth the trouble in terms of R value compared to those "aftermarket" insulation kits you can get for garage doors.

[Victor Robinson]

I built one for our detached garage. I made the panels from T111 plywood and the rails and stiles were regular 2 x 4's. It lasted for more than 20 years. In hind site I should have used treated lumber for the rails and stiles, making sure the outside surfaces were sloped to shed water and the joint faces sloped so water would run to the outside. Here is what it looked like.
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Nice, thanks for the photo Lee. Water-shedding details make sense...I'll have to go out and take a closer look at my own door...I'm not convinced it has those kinds of details but has held up (from a water damage perspective) very well for at least 20 years.
By joint faces sloped do you mean angled M&T?

[Alex Snyder]

I guess that would depend where you live. In my case, there's really minimal need for garage door insulation. I don't have it currently and have never felt the need for it. However, if I lived somewhere cold I'd look at making the panels slightly thicker and sandwiching rigid foam between ply skins. Not sure if that would be worth the trouble in terms of R value compared to those "aftermarket" insulation kits you can get for garage doors.

Vermont vs. San Francisco ;) ....insulation is always a topic of consideration up here. But my wonder is whether a solid piece of wood is just as good as making a wood sandwich with some pink meat in between? I'll leave this question up for the colder population.

[Victor Robinson]

Vermont vs. San Francisco ;) ....insulation is always a topic of consideration up here. But my wonder is whether a solid piece of wood is just as good as making a wood sandwich with some pink meat in between? I'll leave this question up for the colder population.

Wood is actually a terrible insulator. This is why "advanced framing" techniques in colder locales sometimes utilize rigid foam sandwiches, e.g. in a beam. Not only does it make the beam lighter than the equivalent solid wood, but also prevents heat transfer in the wood member. The thinking goes that the more wood you can eliminate from the framing (without compromising structural integrity of course), the more heat loss you can mitigate. Exterior doors can and are also often constructed with pink meat sandwiches - I think Fine Homebuilding detailed one shop's method about a month or two back. That being said, whether it makes sense to do it as part of the garage door build when you can buy cheap (and ugly I guess?) insulation to attach to the back of the door is another question. But I'll shut up now, as I'm opining on issues that don't affect me. :)

[Bryan Lisowski]

Search YouTube for The Woodpecker. In his shop build he built his garage door, using mahogany and a domino and was pretty detailed.

[Andy Giddings]

Built one when I lived in the UK when I only had hand tools and used pressure treated lumber with marine ply. Back in those days, the treated lumber was reasonably toxic:-). As others have said, the joinery is straightforward. As you've got a spring assisted door, I wouldn't want to mess with that either, and obviously door weight would need to be an approx. match. Maybe call a pro round to assist once you have the door built and ready to go

[Alex Snyder]

Wood is actually a terrible insulator. This is why "advanced framing" techniques in colder locales sometimes utilize rigid foam sandwiches, e.g. in a beam. Not only does it make the beam lighter than the equivalent solid wood, but also prevents heat transfer in the wood member. The thinking goes that the more wood you can eliminate from the framing (without compromising structural integrity of course), the more heat loss you can mitigate. Exterior doors can and are also often constructed with pink meat sandwiches - I think Fine Homebuilding detailed one shop's method about a month or two back. That being said, whether it makes sense to do it as part of the garage door build when you can buy cheap (and ugly I guess?) insulation to attach to the back of the door is another question. But I'll shut up now, as I'm opining on issues that don't affect me. :)

You're good ...especially with such good constructive opining ;)

Not to steal your thread, here's a resource that I keep revisiting: http://www.familyhandyman.com/doors/garage-door-repair/garage-door-makeover/step-by-step

[Larry Edgerton]

When you are done set the door on two bath scales, one on each side, add the two, and then give overhead door a call to get the correct spring for the weight. This is an important safety issue, do not just wind your spring tighter. If the door is rotten its about time for a new spring anyway.

I do quite a few but I buy insulated Masonite doors and add a face, then I call Overhead. I always have them come and install the spring, really not any more expensive for me if I consider my time.

[Joe Calhoon]

As usual Larry has good advise. Cladding a insulated door and letting the garage door company install is the easy way. I have installed one garage door and that was enough fun to last a lifetime.

Weight is critical. The white oak door in the picture required commercial hardware. The other pictures are custom garage door panels we made for a passive house project. Foam insulated panels clad to look like carriage house doors. Even the stiles and rails of the top lights had foam. These were costly and probably not a huge gain over just cladding a stock insulated door.
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[Alex Snyder]

Cladding a insulated door and letting the garage door company install is the easy way. I have installed one garage door and that was enough fun to last a lifetime.

These were costly and probably not a huge gain over just cladding a stock insulated door.


Thank you! That's what I needed to hear.

<---this man will be cladding instead of creating.

[Lee Schierer]

When you are done set the door on two bath scales, one on each side, add the two, and then give overhead door a call to get the correct spring for the weight. This is an important safety issue, do not just wind your spring tighter. If the door is rotten its about time for a new spring anyway.

Both the Borgs sell replacement springs and they have a chart that tells what springs are needed for what weight doors. If you only have one bathroom scale, you can still weigh the door. Lift the door about 6 inches. Get a piece of 2 x 4 that is 4 feet long. Get a block of wood that is the approximate thickness of your bath room scale. Place the block of wood on one side of the door about 2 feet from the door right in the center of the door. Place the bathroom scale on the other side of the door in the center. Place the 2 x 4 so the end rests on the center of the scale scale and so the other end is on the block of wood. Lower the door and read the scale. Multiply the weight you read by two and that is the weight of the door.

[Ron Magliocco]

I made these doors 10 years ago. I bought 2 flush face solid insulated doors from a garage door company and applied mahogany rails and stiles with T&G cedar in the field of each door. All lumber was applied "whole" using PL construction adhesive and lots of weight to clamp it. I let the glue cure for a week and cut the sections with a festool saw. Total cost was $2600 including the festool! Doors weigh 350lbs each. Garage door installer made sure to size the motor and spring accordingly.

10 years later, no issues except 2 replacement springs.
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[Larry Edgerton]

Thank you! That's what I needed to hear.

<---this man will be cladding instead of creating.

The door will have to be moved back the thickness of the cladding, in other words where the track hardware bolts to the house you will have to add a board whatever thickness your face is. Try to keep the weight down to a reasonable level, make your face no thicker than it has to be. I do a lot of carriage house doors like in Joe's first picture and I make my own T&G 5/16" thick. I set mine in epoxy and do my first coat with West #7, but I am not sure what is necessary in your climate. My climate is tough.

Hey Joe, Hope all is well with you.

Larry

[sebastian phillips]

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