Garage Doors

[Dave Bureau]

Has anyone build raised panel garage doors. I was thinking about oak doors but dont know if weight would be a factor. they are only single bay doors. Any thoughts on building these doors?
Dave

[Jim Becker]

No experience, but if you go oak, make it white oak for long-term resistance to weather, rot and insects.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

Most are made from Cedar in our area but White Oak would be cool.

[Ted Baca]

I would think the weight issue would come down to the following. THe rails on a single door are the same as a those on a double 16' door. So iw ould say not a problem there. The spring rate would need to upgraded I would talk to a garage door installer and see if your hardware will accept a heaveir spring. As far as the opener, if you hvae a strong spring and a double door opener then you should be OK on that front as well. I little home work then a lot of shop work in your future.

[Ellen Benkin]

I look at garage doors as a purely functional item and would not consider taking the time and money to build them out of wood -- any wood. Not only would weight be an issue, there would be constant maintanence. Sorry, but I prefer good old aluminum or fiberglass -- looks good, can be hosed off, and can stand the elements.

Now . . . . the front door to my house is another story. That's solid mahogany, cost a fortune, and is a pain to maintain, but it really makes a statement.

[Dave Bureau]

Ahh.... I guess that's the difference between being lazy and being ambitious.

[Ed Blough]

Ahh.... I guess that's the difference between being lazy and being ambitious.

That might be a factor but I think Ellen makes a good point. I had a double wood door 18ft, it was heavy and most of all it was a maintaince hog. If I didn't keep it painted and sealed it would suck up water, looked tacky and seemed to want to mildew.

I was going to build a new one using cedar but I found out I could get an insulated metal door capable of withstanding the hugh winds we get in Florida and have little or no maintaince to it.

I went metal, now my opener loves me much lighter in weight, my wife loves me because it always looks so clean and new, and my body loves me because it can work in insulated coolness.

I might have been laziness but I like to think it was good thinking.:p

[Alfred Clem]

When we built our home in 1985, our double garage door was constructed of Masonite panels clad with planks of clear redwood, tongue & groove, applied horizontally.

The door faces north and is sheltered by a four-foot overhang. Hardly any rain or other moisture comes in contact with it. Every couple years, for appearances sake, I give it a coat of oil stain.

Within two years, the electric door opener began giving problems. It simply needed more power, and so a stronger motor was installed. Otherwise, the door has been nearly problem-free.

Today, after more than 21 years of exposure to the Arizona elements -- dry and in the shade -- the door looks as good as the day it first opened.