hey okctalk, once again i’m calling on your collective wisdom. this time regarding garage doors.

i’ve been thinking about getting new garage doors for my house and have been kicking around the idea of wooden ones or something that approximates the look of stained wood. i’m not sure it matters, but i’m going for a carriage house style. Does anybody have experience with wood or faux wood garage doors?

my main concerns with wood are wear and maintenance. i’m wondering if the oklahoma weather would ruin the doors’ appearance after a couple of seasons, even with regular maintenance. i’ve been told that three single solid wood doors could run around $10k installed. While my gut tells me that’s on the high side, i can live with that price if that’s reality… but if the looks of the doors don’t hold up to our weather, then its not worth it to me.

my concern with with faux wood is appearance. i haven’t seen a fake stain that looks convincing. however, if somebody makes a really nice looking faux wood door (steel, fiberglass, composite, etc) i’m definitely open to saving a bit of money and reducing the amount of maintenance the doors need.

so… any insight is appreciated. is solid wood too much of a headache for oklahoma? does anybody know of a faux finish wooden door that doesn’t look really fake? is there a composite option that's a good compromise of looks and durability? are there any local companies that are particularly good? any that should be avoided?

thanks in advance! -M

I replaced the wood doors in my garage a few years ago when we put siding on all the exposed wood on the house. They were probably 40 years old plus or minus 10. Nothing particularly wrong with them cosmetically or structurally except close inspection showed many layers of old paint, and the hardware rollers, rails and springs were rusty, which didn't help with lifting them (I didn't have openers then) and of course, they would need to be painted again on occasion. But we weren't looking for anything special in finish, the old ones were beige. Most of the trim on the house is white and we replaced with white steel.

thanks! lemme clarify... i was looking at stained wood or something that replicated stained wood. sort of like the image below. i'm sure that wooden garage doors are great when sealed with something like paint but i'm wondering how the look of a stained finish would hold up over time, especially with the weather extremes we have in oklahoma. -M

http://hyfishmanfursbbw.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Wood-Garage-Doors-Design-Ideas.jpg

Pretty. Looks to me about like owning and caring for a wooden boat. (Might even draw from those processes. WEST Epoxy?) There's probably a way to keep it looking good. Probably not without regular maintenance of some sort.

[QUOTE=Martin;894352]thanks! lemme clarify... i was looking at stained wood or something that replicated stained wood. sort of like the image below. i'm sure that wooden garage doors are great when sealed with something like paint but i'm wondering how the look of a stained finish would hold up over time, especially with the weather extremes we have in oklahoma. -M

I don't have one but I would assume it would hold up in a similar manner as a wooden deck that is treated to withstand the elements? Of course, anything that is wood will eventually need some maintenance.

Have you looked into Clopay Doors?. They have a nice line of what you are looking for.

New & Replacement Garage Doors | Clopay Door (http://www.clopaydoor.com/)

hmmm... those clopay doors (especially the canyon ridge series) look pretty good. i'm going to have to try to check some out in person.

thanks for the tip! -M

well... started the ball rolling just after july 4th weekend and finally got this project finished about a week ago... that's with the company i went with promising a two week turnaround time. i really like the results but the whole process has been a real pain.

i ended up going with a steel door frame that's clad in real wood. the doors were custom built by a local company for a fraction of what the clopay canyon ridge doors would have cost. I had to find another company to stain the doors (they did an awesome job and were easy to work with) and i installed the hardware myself after giving up on the garage door company.

here's a before and after:

http://www.magnvs.de/pics/garage_done.jpg

the next major project will be to replace the fake copper overhang with one made with real copper. -M

Nice! What's the finish?

well... started the ball rolling just after july 4th weekend and finally got this project finished about a week ago... that's with the company i went with promising a two week turnaround time. i really like the results but the whole process has been a real pain.

i ended up going with a steel door frame that's clad in real wood. the doors were custom built by a local company for a fraction of what the clopay canyon ridge doors would have cost. here's a before and after:

http://www.magnvs.de/pics/garage_done.jpg

the next major project will be to replace the fake copper overhang with one made with real copper. -M

that looks great! Really nice job.

Nice! What's the finish?

the staining company (http://www.okfencestaining.com/) called it 'cedar tone'... i think it's made by a company called wood defender. after they were finished, i put a couple coats of minwax tung oil finish over that to help it hold up.

that looks great! Really nice job.

thanks! -M

Looks great, and the tung oil is a really great idea.

The doors look great. Maybe it's just me. but I think the overhang over the doors looks out of place now though with the darker doors.

Looks great, and the tung oil is a really great idea.

thanks! i like the look of an oil finish and i think that maintaining it will be easier than, say, polyurethane. -M

The doors look great. Maybe it's just me. but I think the overhang over the doors looks out of place now though with the darker doors.

thanks! i agree that the fake copper material stands out more than it did but the picture shows way more light reflecting off of it than what one sees in person. -M

well... started the ball rolling just after july 4th weekend and finally got this project finished about a week ago... that's with the company i went with promising a two week turnaround time. i really like the results but the whole process has been a real pain.

i ended up going with a steel door frame that's clad in real wood. the doors were custom built by a local company for a fraction of what the clopay canyon ridge doors would have cost. I had to find another company to stain the doors (they did an awesome job and were easy to work with) and i installed the hardware myself after giving up on the garage door company.

here's a before and after:

http://www.magnvs.de/pics/garage_done.jpg

the next major project will be to replace the fake copper overhang with one made with real copper. -M

WOW, What a great transformation the new doors made, I have driven by this house a million times it seems. That's funny that it turns out to be yours, small world we live in.... When you get ready for some new copper work, I know a guy that does excellent work.

I have to replace my doors (damaged in previous storms), so do you mind me asking which company did the doors?

Mark

WOW, What a great transformation the new doors made, I have driven by this house a million times it seems.

thanks!

I have to replace my doors (damaged in previous storms), so do you mind me asking which company did the doors?

Mark

windsor door did the fabrication/installation and the stain was done by central oklahoma fence staining.

windsor door did the fabrication/installation and the stain was done by central oklahoma fence staining.

Windsor is a great company, I know the owner very well, they carry the finest garage doors in the business and follow it up with unmatched service.... Great local company!