How to Maintain a Wooden Garage Door

Your wooden garage door adds warmth and style to your home’s facade. It accentuates your home’s originality and charm, elevating any architectural choices. If you want your garage door to look and function like it’s brand-new, you’ll need to keep up with regular maintenance. Some tasks you can take a few moments to do on your own — others may require professional service. Either way, simple preventive maintenance can save you a great deal of time and money in the long-run. Learn how to properly maintain your wooden garage door.

Why Should You Maintain Your Wooden Garage Door?

Maintaining your wooden garage door has both visual and practical benefits. It can improve the appearance and function of your door. When you keep up with regular maintenance, you’ll likely notice the following results:

• Keeps its nice appearance: Proper maintenance will keep your door beautiful, preserving its original look. Remember that your garage door makes up a large portion of your home’s facade. A clean, well-kept door will boost your home’s curb appeal and resale value.
• Increases the lifespan: Your door will have a longer lifespan with regular care and maintenance. You’ll be able to postpone repair and replacement much longer. Simple preventive care will save you time, energy and money in the long-run.
• Improves overall performance: Maintenance also ensures your door can operate as it should. When you take appropriate measures, your door will be able to withstand heavy use and exposure to the elements.

Difference Between Steel and Wooden Garage Door Maintenance

Steel and wooden garage doors require different maintenance. Both materials are sturdy and robust, but each has unique qualities. For instance, steel is prone to dents and corrosion, while wood is prone to cracking or warping under harsh weather conditions. To maintain your wooden garage door, you’ll need to sand and stain once every couple of years. You might also choose to reapply paint to perk up the appearance. In addition, you’ll need to replace any damaged parts, including panels or hardware.

How to Maintain Wooden Garage Doors

Keeping a wooden garage door like-new in appearance and function requires some maintenance. Follow all of these steps to keep your door in top shape. Some steps you can tackle yourself, while others are best left to the professionals. Before making any major alterations, like repainting or refinishing, contact your Authorized Dealer to ensure your warranty will stay valid. Here are some things you can do to maintain your wooden garage door.

1. Sand and Smooth the Wood

First, make sure to remove any peeling or chipping wood. Clear away any splintered wood pieces and paint chips. Use a paint scraper to remove loose or peeling paint. Rub sandpaper on the exposed surface. As you sand, try to apply even pressure. Otherwise, you may end up with gauges or dips, producing an uneven surface.

A smooth base will ensure an even coat of finish or paint. Resand the door at least once every few years or after an especially harsh season. Extreme heat, cold or humidity can degrade wood’s quality, which makes sanding necessary.

2. Keep the Door Clean

Built-up moisture, dust or dirt can cause warping or bending. Cleaning your door will make it look nicer, reduce damage risks and decrease how often you need to re-stain. A quick wipe-down is all it takes. When you clean the door, use regular dish soap and warm water, along with a cloth or soft sponge. Wipe down all components to remove dirt, dust and grime. If you notice mildew, use a special mildew-removing solution. You may want to wear gloves and a mask for your health and safety.

When you clean, avoid abrasive scrubbers, which may remove the wood’s finish. You should also refrain from power washing, though using a regular garden hose is usually fine. Use this method to clean your garage door at least once a year or so. If you live in a harsher climate, you might want to clean your door more often.

3. Add a Coat of Finish or Paint

You’ll want to reapply a durable, weather-resistant stain every few years. This refreshes your door’s appearance and helps protect it from the elements. A garage door faces exposure to every outdoor element — wind, rain, humidity, beating sun, snow, ice, as well as extreme hot and cold. It needs proper protection to withstand those conditions. Consult with the manufacturer to make sure you’re using a safe stain for your door’s wood. To refinish your door, follow these simple steps:

• Clean the door with soap and water to clear away any grime or debris.
• Let the door dry — you might need to give the door a day or two to dry off.
• Use a brush or roller to apply the stain onto the wooden surface.
• Let the stain coat dry.
• Go over the wood with a dry brush. This will remove any excess stain.

If you want to renew the look of your garage door, you may choose to repaint. You can choose a color that better suits your taste or fits modern trends. Like a coat of finish, a new coat of paint will offer added protection to the wood surface. If you lack the time or materials to repaint your door, you might consider hiring a professional service. To repaint your garage door, be sure to clean and sand the surface first. Use masking tape to cover any non-wood elements, and let the door dry between coats.

4. Lubricate Metal Elements

It’s important to apply a lubricant to all metal parts and hardware elements. This allows for smoother operation. If you notice any unusual noises or sticking as your garage door opens and closes, the metal elements may need lubrication. These effects can be annoying, but they also signify serious issues. Ignoring strange sounds or uneven movement can shorten your door’s lifespan.

Applying lubricant when needed allows for convenient, quiet operation and lengthens your door’s lifespan. The harsher an environment you live in, the more often you should take this precaution. You may want to ask the manufacturer what type of lubricant to use. Avoid thick grease, which can clog the tracks and result in built-up dirt. When you’ve chosen the right lubricant and you’re ready to apply it, follow these steps:

• Make sure all nuts and bolts are tightened. Replace any worn or broken metal components.
• Check your rollers to ensure they’re sturdy and aligned, not wobbly.
• Wipe the track clean using a damp rag.
• With the door open, lubricate the hinges, rollers and ball bearings.
• Lubricate the metal springs and plates, as well as the top of the rail.
• Avoid any nylon or plastic elements and wipe away excess lubricant as you go.

While many homeowners apply lubricant as a do-it-yourself task, you may opt to hire a professional service. This will ensure the use of the proper lubricant and minimize any risks. A professional tune-up will include reapplication of lubricant.

5. Inspect for Signs of Pests

A wooden garage door can be a target for wood-consuming pests. Termites, snails, slugs and beetles can wreak havoc on your door. Check for tunnels and holes in your garage door’s surface. If you notice signs of pests, you might use an insect repellent spray or poison trap. Be sure to keep these chemicals away from children and pets. You may need a garage door repair service to fix pest damage. It’s best to catch these issues as soon as possible before large sections of your door become compromised.

6. Inspect Working Parts

Check all of your door’s working elements, including hardware, sensors, openers and tracks. Open and close your door, watching for any snags and listening for unusual sounds. Whether or not you notice anything out of the ordinary, it’s a good idea to hire a professional service to examine the technical elements of your door. A preventive tune-up can save you from expensive repairs later down the road. A professional service will:

• Examine elements to ensure proper function.
• Re-tension springs.
• Tighten nuts and lags.
• Re-align the track if needed.
• Lubricate moving elements.
• Perform a safety inspection to make sure the door’s sensors are working.

Does Your Wooden Garage Door Need Repairs or Replacement?

While some conditions require nothing more than a little elbow-grease, others may necessitate professional repair or replacement. If you notice any of the following conditions, contact an expert garage door repair or replacement service:

• Warping
• Extreme cracking
• Aging materials
• Operational issues

In any of these cases, a professional may replace single elements or the entire door. Sometimes, you can resolve an issue by replacing just one panel or technical part. If the damage is too severe, however, you may need to replace the entire door.

Protect Your Wooden Garage Door With Proper Maintenance

Your wooden garage door adds to your home’s beauty and value. You want to keep it looking good and operating well for as long as possible. With regular maintenance, you can preserve the appearance of your door and extend its lifespan. Simple maintenance tasks yield long-term results. For all your garage door service needs, contact Best Overhead Door today.