Building a Wooden Garage Door

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[Bob]

Okay gang - got me another "volunteer" project. Short history - neighbor's husband recently passed away so I help out where I can. Widow (in her 80's) had a senior moment the other day and forgot to push the button to open the garage door and she backed the car into it - big time. Needs a new garage door - this one (one of two) cannot be repaired.

Checked pricing of wood garage doors for her and they're out of her budget. Going with steel means she'll have to replace both so they match - that puts it out of her budget also. I can make her a replacement door for probably under $100 in materials and it will match the second door but....

Looking at the old door, it is made from pine (finger-jointed sections no less) with tempered board for the panel inserts. Not a high cost door to begin with but it's lasted over 20 years and would still be standing if...

So I was thinking in order to keep the costs down why not use some (best quality I can find) fir 2x4's to make the frame? This is a frame and flat-panel garage door with 4 panes of glass in one of the 4 roll-up sections. I can salvage the existing hardware and all but one section of glass. With a couple coats of oil-based primer and a good topcoat paint, any reason using quality studs is a bad idea? I'll mill them to rough size and let them set for a week then cut to final size. That should show up any that are likely to turn into pretzels.

Just two weeks ago I replaced the springs on the door and repaired the garage door opener (bad solder joint due to vibration). She could now manually open the door in case of a power failure (we've had a few recently) and the opener was once again working as it should.... and now this minor problem...;-)

Anyone every built a 4 section, roll-up garage door (8'w x 7'h) - any advice appreciated.

Thanks,

Bob S.

[Eugene]

that shouldn't be too bad since you have a pattern to start with. Maybe use pine to be the same as the original in weight just to be extra safe.

[Bob]

Good point since I just installed new springs on the door which were rated for 130lb. Had the old door adjusted so it could be opened or closed with one finger so if I build it with similar materials it should work just as well.

Bob S.

[Morris Dovey]

Last year I replaced the bottom section of a 9' x 7' garage door. I bought a matched pair of router bits from MLCS (#8838), a number of 2"x4"x10' construction grade boards, and a sheet of

1/4" exterior plywood (to replace the 20-year old hardboard).

The only things I did different from the original were to use the plywood and to dowel all joints. The new section will probably outlast me.

You may want to get a new door bottom seal. The rubber of mine was fairly well deteriorated (but I used it anyway).

It isn't a difficult job.

[John]

Should work fine. Many folks ship lap the intersecting edges for weather tightness - should be able to do that with a router table before assembly. Primer and paint and good maintenance and it should last long enough

John

[Bob]

Morris,

Just what I was hoping to here - using construction grade stock worked out okay. I have several sets of rail, stile and raised panel cutters already but thanks for the reference. Good idea on using the exterior grade ply instead of the hardboard and using dowels - inexpensive, strong and I have the tools.

Thanks for the input,

Bob S.

[Bob]

John,

That's a good suggestion and I would use it if I was using stock that was kiln dried to 8% or less. I'm afraid that the best I'll probably get is about 17% mc (if I'm lucky) which will typically stabilize to around 12% for this area. With that kind of moisture content, I suspect the sections of the doors to bow a bit with weather changes and a shiplap joint may end up binding. As it is, I'll have to store the stock in my basement for a week or two in order to get the mc down using a dehumidifier.

Appreciate your time and thoughts,

Bob S.

[John Grossbohlin]

We had a recent death on my wife's side of the family... a genuinely lovely woman who was an 88 year old widow and who was still driving. The last five years or so she was a hazard behind the wheel and didn't know it... an "unguided missile." Given your neighbor's senior moment you might be doing her a bigger favor by having a family member intervene and stop her from driving. The lesser favor would be to repair her garage door. I know this is a tough call...

John

[J. Clarke]

It's not necessarily a "senior moment". The neighbor a couple of houses down drove through her garage door one morning, and she was in her 30s.

[Bob]

John,

Neither her late husbands family or any of her relatives live in this state - the neighborhood is her family now. She realizes that she will most likely have to sell the house and move but until that day comes - we'll help where we can.

Bob S.

[Mike Reed]

Not really a tough call in my opinion. I was nearly killed by an elderly woman running a stop sign. I spent a 2 weeks in the hospital and have chronic problems from my injuries.

I think that after 65 we should all be drive-tested yearly.

-Mike

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