Cedar Garage Door Maintenance Tips
If you’re looking for the best care tips for cedar garage door maintenance this post should help! For the customers who have had us install their cedar garage doors and even those who didn’t we prepared this guide. It will help you know what to look for in inspecting the door, how to clean it, and discuss the protective treatments that keep cedar garage doors looking great!
In homes throughout the country you can find cedar garage doors, as they have become more popular in recent years, and there is a very good reason for that. Which is that they are so much stronger and durable than an overlay garage door or even steel garage doors, and they come with their own natural beauty, that along will make your neighbors envy.
Tips For Caring For Cedar Garage Doors
There is a small price to pay for the benefits that cedar garage doors offer. Garage doors made of cedar is going to consist of some significant commitments in maintenance, whereas other garage doors that are less wouldn’t needs as much commitment. It comes down to you being able to spend less time taking care of your garage doors than chasing after the kids and the dogs.
The following are a few of the things to keep your eye out for when maintaining the cedar doors.
Cedar Garage Door Protective Treatments
Cedar is wood, and wood is harvested from trees, it is a natural material which has been configured in order for it to fit the opening of your garage, still it needs to be protected from various damages.
The garage doors used, here at the ‘On Track Garage Door’, is that of kiln dried wood. By using this process, it lowers the chance of expansions and contracting when temperatures vary back and forth from hot to cold, and vice versa, also making it less apt to be ruin by moisture. The wood panels used by ‘On Track Garage Door’ is covered in a finish that provides protection for the wood from scratches to large hail.
No matter which cedar garage door you decide to choose, always be sure the panels has a coated finish for its protection. Of course, a finish coating may wear down or off every couple of years, that is why it is important to have it refinished as soon as you notice it happening. You definitely want to refinish both sides of the garage door, after all, you should be able to access the door from either side.
You should clean your garage door using a combination of detergent (light) and water.
Cleaning the garage doors
Since wood is a natural material, it has its own unique beauty. Yet, if your garage door is panels made from cedar, they are going to be susceptible to deterioration, unless they are kept properly cleaned on a regular basis.
Your cedar door should be cleaned anytime you feel it needs it, however, at least once per year otherwise. For instance, let’s say you are planning to finish your garage door, wouldn’t it make sense to make sure it is cleaned of dust and dirt deposits first, including anything else that may be sticking to it?
Keep in mind, that the task of cleaning your garage door is a simple one, but you will need to take the time to clean its wood thoroughly. Just mix a cup of any mild detergent you have around the house with five gallons of warm water and rub this solution onto the wood panels. Then you need to rinse away the soapy solution with clear water, and let the door air dry.
Should you intend to apply more finish to the garage door, make sure it has completely dried before adding the new finish. Also, this should not be done if it calls for rain over a matter of several days, as it will need time to completely dry.
Cedar Garage Door Inspection
A good cleaning and refinishing will help to protect those beautiful cedar panels on the door. So, what if some damage has already become deeper?
Most people do not realize how important it is to check their garage door every few days, in order to catch any cracks and/or scratches that may have, or might will cause damage to your cedar panels. Because your garage door gets opened and closed on the average, several times every day, there can be stress fractions in the panels, which you have no warning of. It is things like this that can compromise the finish of your cedar garage door, leaving the door susceptible to pollutant infiltration and/or water damage.
Should you notice any damage to your cedar panels, it is important that you immediately clean and refinish all the areas in order to restore the original protection.