# wood panel garage doors



## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

Has anyone found a sure fire way to keep wood overhead doors from rotting or failing? I have found if you caulk the panels, they move too much and water gets in and caulking looks very bad (sometimes panels will crack in half as well). If you use solid stain, they tend to flake, if you paint, they tend to peel or rot out from the inside out. I have also found lately that the factory primer seems to fail quickly as well (similar to the primer on cheap exterior door trim and casing).


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Get a good fiberglass insulated door.....that would be fix it.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

That is what I try to tell them. Some listen, some do not.


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## NCPaint1 (Aug 6, 2009)

Wood doors look the best with transparent stain and finish. Keep up on the maintenance, or sell a maintenance contract. Its a win win for everyone. 

Painting is still going to require maintenance. Be it a wood, aluminum, or fiberglass door.


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## PressurePros (May 6, 2007)

Use a silica sealer as a primer. Will not rot in our lifetime.


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## VanDamme (Feb 13, 2010)

I have!

I prep. the hell out of them, then apply a coat of peelbond. Then I caulk everything and prime with exterior primer. Then they get shot with 2 coats acrylic.

I still check on doors I did 5-6 years ago and they look great.


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## johnpaint (Sep 20, 2008)

VanDamme said:


> I have!
> 
> I prep. the hell out of them, then apply a coat of peelbond. Then I caulk everything and prime with exterior primer. Then they get shot with 2 coats acrylic.
> 
> I still check on doors I did 5-6 years ago and they look great.


This is what I do also, I prime them first, sand and peel bond over that.


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## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

Doesn't matter what you do if water is coming off the roof and hammering them. Drip edge over the top of them may help if there isn't a gutter there.


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## 6126 (May 9, 2010)

Im doing some right now. http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=150288&id=100001032483018 I stripped them yesterday. They will be getting Arborcoat Stain


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

The panels float. The course nearest the deck is a catch basin. Water accumulates and until it evaporates the wood expands and contracts pushing the paint away from the substrate. Left, the wood rots.

Not perfect by a longshot but try caulking the backside with a clear caulk and depending on the door maybe a coat of primer on the whole inside. 

Another thing that happens is the seal on the bottom of the door was put on over raw wood or has worn, and standing water migrates upward causing much the same problem.


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## DeanV (Apr 18, 2007)

I guess where I run stuck on stuff like this is that I figure if top coat is not deteriorated (everything seems to fall apart at the primer level), primer only helps over the bare wood. Stripping down the entire door usually is not an option.

I have not heard of a silica primer before. I will have to look into that. So far, we scrape, sand, spot prime (usually oil or PeelBond) and then recoat.


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## Retired (Jul 27, 2010)

Not familiar with silica primer either. Your weather in MI probably doesn't help much either when that moisture freezes. 

Are the doors you are having problems with primed or primed and painted on the backsides? If not this can cause warping especially in those floating panels. 

Your fix is about all you can do short of being the bearer of bad news telling customers thier whole door is shot or needs a bunch of work by a carpenter.


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## 4ThGeneration (Apr 17, 2007)

Update to a 21st century door may be more cost effective?


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