Replies

1. 
   Ruby | Mar 05, 2004 08:19pm | #1

   Wooden garage doors are several times heavier than metal ones. We have three in our present metal garage but will definitively put metal in the new one.

   If you already have metal doors in there, be sure to reinforce the upper part of the vertical supporting boards, so they don't pull out from the extra weight when you change to wood, as happened to a neighbor of ours.

2. 
   gdavis62 | Mar 05, 2004 09:25pm | #2

   Keep after those garage door dealer/installers.  Clopay makes 'em, as does Overhead.  Others may, too.  Trouble is, they aren't cheap.  Steel doors are made with very little labor, whereas the wood ones require labor to cut and assemble all the parts.

   Feed back to us what you find.  Compare the cost of the least priced steel one with the least priced wood.

3. 
   IMERC | Mar 05, 2004 09:30pm | #3

   Raynor make them. You could vaneer a steel or aluminium door.

    

   Here fishy fishy....

4. 
   Novy | Mar 05, 2004 09:41pm | #4

   I have priced these doors and allmost fell over ! Nice though !

   http://www.wayne-dalton.com/resWood.asp

   In the end I spec'd a steel door that will be faux finished at a future date.

   On a hill by the harbour
5. 
   Piffin | Mar 06, 2004 12:52am | #5

   I'm suprised that not even the specialist ccouldn't help you. All I do is call mu lumberyard and tell them what I want. There are Garage door companies tripping over each other for the work here.

   Tip-

   once you get it, set up and paint all the sedctions before installing it. Moisture can and will ruin it quicker than one of those garage building companies can erect a weekend special. There is almost no way to get a good edge seal if you have it hung first.

    

    

   Welcome to the
   Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
    where ...
   Excellence is its own reward!

1. 
   Flatfive | Mar 06, 2004 01:12am | #6

   I built my own wooden garage door. It's a roll-up in 4 sections, windows in the top section. When closed the door appears to be two doors that are hinged on the sides. There are even hand-made hammered strap hinges and a hasp with a padlock. I cut a vertical kerf and painted it black to represent the space between the "doors". I bought the track and hinges at a local garage door shop. They told me I shouldn't attempt building my own door. It turned out great. I did have the pros come and install the overhead springs, though.

1. 
   robteed | Mar 12, 2005 06:26pm | #7

   Did you take pictures? Would love to see how you did it.

1. 
   Flatfive | Mar 12, 2005 08:33pm | #8

   Here are some pictures.

1. 
   DavidxDoud | Mar 13, 2005 01:32am | #9

   nice - is it skinned on the inside with something? - - does the frame have any sophisticated joinery,  or just butt and screwed?

   Edit:  you should consider talking to the magazine about an article....

    

   "there's enough for everyone"

   Edited 3/12/2005 5:33 pm ET by David Doud

2. 
   Flatfive | Mar 14, 2005 04:51am | #17

   Yes, I made frames out of 2" x 2" skinned with 1/2" plywood. Then I applied the 1 x 6 pieces to that.

   I wrote an article that appeared in FH 25 years ago. It was about a helical staircase. I have used it to get engineering jobs. I guess I should try to put something together about the garage door.

   Thanks for the idea!

3. 
   jrnbj | Mar 14, 2005 07:39am | #18

   nice combination of art & engineering....well done!

4. 
   robteed | Mar 13, 2005 02:55am | #10

   They look great, Good job. Im thinking of buying smooth steel doors,
   3 of them 9'x8' and laminating 1/4" oak plywood to the panels. Then
   trim out over that with 3/8" oak boards to give it the design I want.
   People have said that weight is a factor for not doing that...but im sure it wouldnt weigh any more then one of those $5000.00 doors.
   The other option is a "Faux Paint" to look like wood.
   Rob

5. 
   BillHartmann | Mar 13, 2005 03:23am | #14

   " Im thinking of buying smooth steel doors,
   3 of them 9'x8' and laminating 1/4" oak plywood to the panels. Then
   trim out over that with 3/8" oak boards to give it the design I want"Why oak?Oak plywood is not an exterior grade.And unless it is white oak it is realy got for outdoor usage either.Something like cedar would be much better (and lighter).

6. 
   robteed | Mar 13, 2005 03:59am | #15

   Thanks for the info. I guess cedar would be better choice. But Oak
   veneer plywood is really cheep. And I am on a tight budget. We have built a 4000 sq ft house on a $150K budget. We are over that by about $5K.
   I have even thought about a formica type covering. That would keep the weight down and its quite water proof.

2. 
   toolpouchguy | Mar 13, 2005 06:09pm | #16

   if you are looking for garage doors the company i work for builds doors .we make our own screen doors and garage doors .

   http://www.solstar.on.ca http://www.homconcepts.ca

6. 
   robteed | Mar 13, 2005 03:01am | #11

   What was the cost, compared to a cheep steel door? I will be trying
   a limanate of some type. I have a glue sprayer for formica work, it works great for glueing oak plywood to my walls in the foyer...I think it will work great on the garage door. I know that heat softens the
   glue but I never get the sun on the north front of the house.
   My other concern is moisture out of the edges of the plywood, so might just go with 3/8"X 6" oak boards.

1. 
   TGNY | Mar 13, 2005 03:14am | #12

   The steel door, ####2" insulated Clopay, installed with opener is about $1500. The plywood door (9'x9') again installed with heavy duty opener and springs (due to the added weight of the cedar that will be applied) is $2400. Conversely I did consider an Alum/Glass door similar to a gas station, that was $3200 - $5000.

1. 
   robteed | Mar 13, 2005 03:17am | #13

   They aint cheep! Thats alot of money for what ya get!