Wooden garage doors are naturally aesthetically pleasing but still need to be maintained regularly to retain this property. Besides keeping natural texture and beauty, regular maintenance helps protect the wood from the extreme outdoor conditions that lead to cracking, warping, or rotting. Additionally, correctly maintained wooden garage doors remain functional for many years, and safety features are not compromised, eliminating inconveniences.
Read through this guide to learn more about wooden garage doors and how to maintain them. Below we share 8 tips for maintaining the beauty of wooden garage doors.
Choose the right finish
Applying wood finish to your garage door offers 24 hours protection from rain, snow, sun, and wind. To achieve this, you need to choose a finish that is of high quality and durable. A good finish will offer the door a scratch-resistance effect and hence minimize overall maintenance requirements. A quality finish also helps protect the wood from warping or cracking, rotting, and pests.
Keep your door clean
A dirty door is not appealing. The accumulated dirt may also lead to warping and bending due to moisture in the dirt, which can host pests. It would be best if you cleaned your garage door at least once per year with a mild detergent and water solution. When cleaning, avoid scrubbing roughly as this can cause the finish to come out. Instead, use a soft sponge and rinse the soapy water with clean, clear water. You can clean more often than once per year if dirt builds up quickly in your area.
Lubrication
Oiling helps the door’s mechanisms to open smoothly and to last longer. Oil the door mechanisms adequately every month to ensure it opens smoothly without noise. It would help if you oiled any other time when your door alerts you to do so by producing screeching noise when opening or closing. Be careful not to lubricate too much as it can affect the door’s working mechanism since the excess oil can also attract dirt.
Re-sand and Refinish
This is done to give your wooden garage door the beauty and look it had when you first installed it. You should do this after 3-5 years, especially after a harsh season of beaming sun to heavy snow. You will be required to completely sand down your wooden garage door and then refinish it.
Repaint and Re-stain
Repainting and re-staining the wooden garage door helps it to remain beautiful and also protects it from damage. You should do this after 3-5 years, depending on your region’s climatic condition. If possible, it is recommended you do it annually to maintain the beautiful design all year round.
Before repainting, clean the wooden garage door to remove debris, dust, or peeling paint. Fill any cracks using the wood filler and leave it to dry, then sand down the door. Degrease the door using a special cleaning spray and remove mildew with a mildew cleaning solution. Allow the door to dry, then mask up the handles and apply the primer to the whole door. Apply paint and finish until full coverage is obtained.
Look for rot
A garage door made of wood is susceptible to fungi and bacteria, resulting in wood rot when exposed to too much moisture. Look for signs of this, including softness at the bottom part of the door, and get professional help immediately.
Look out for pests
Pests that feed on cellulose in the wood damage the wooden garage door. These pests make tiny tunnels and holes, and they include beetles, slug, snails, and termites. When you see these pests or any signs of their invasion, use the correct control measures to eliminate them and terminate their spreading.
Inspect frequently
Regardless of how aesthetically pleasing the garage doors are, they will not serve their purpose if they are not functioning correctly. To avoid any inconvenience, inspect all aspects of the garage door to ensure they are functional. Inspect the hardware, seals, surface component of wood, and moving parts for damage and act accordingly.
Benefits of maintaining a wooden garage door
When you maintain your wooden garage door, you will have achieved more benefits, not just maintaining its aesthetic features. The other advantages include:
- Improved safety and security
Faulty garage doors cause the most common operation injuries; hence if the garage door is well maintained, such are avoided. A well-maintained wooden garage door is secure, and it is hard for thieves to find a weak area.
- Reduce overall cost
A well-maintained garage door has fewer problems; thus, the repair cost is reduced. When repairs are done, the risk of installing a new garage door due to significant damages is also minimized.
- Keep safety features updated.
The security technology evolves and changes relatively fast, and hence if you maintain your wooden garage door regularly, you can always incorporate new security features.
- Prevent damage to a vehicle and other items
A faulty garage door may fall when the vehicle is on the door’s pathway resulting in damages. Other essential items are stored in the garage, and since the garage door acts as the shield if it is faulty, the items may get damaged by exterior conditions.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you have learned the tips needed to maintain the beauty of your wooden garage door. Clean, lubricate, remove chips and peeling, and control pests to preserve the beauty of your wooden garage door. Ensure you re-sand and refinish, repaint and re-stain annually to ensure the wooden garage door has a fresh look at all times. Finally, don’t forget to engage the right professionals when your wooden garage door needs any repair works.