Door

One of the most impactful upgrades we made to our new home plan was the addition of a genuine cedar wood carriage garage door. I have been impressed with the appearance, quality and performance of this door since Day One.

Exterior Finish

Initially, the builder stained this cedar door with a semi-transparent yellow stain and it never sat well with me. It did nothing to enhance the natural beauty of the wood grain and just looked bland and lifeless. (see pic here) After the first year, I sanded it and re-applied a translucent natural stain. Every couple of years, I sand and re-stain the garage door. Most recently, I applied a layer of Thompson's Water Seal. I had used Cabot's Australian Timber Oil prior to that, but it didn't really stand up to the elements very well.

Builder Stain

Cabot's Australian Timber Oil

Thompson's Water Seal

So far, the Thompson's seems to be a much better choice. It brings out the natural colors of the wood while also providing a waterproof seal to the surface. This image gallery features the door stained with Thompson's Water Seal. I think you will agree it looks amazing.

Interior Finish

Initially, the interior of the door was unfinished. I applied a quick coat of drab primer and then turned my attention elsewhere. I have played around with the paint scheme over the years. Most recently, I painted the entire door white including the hinges and support rails. I added a splash of style with a RAD GARAGE decal and corresponding stripe. You will also notice I have installed subway tile to finish off the portion of wall above the door which added a nice finished look to this previously unsightly area.

Service

Because the door is extremely heavy, I pay close attention to the maintenance of the components that keep the door operating in a smooth and safe manner. I used to have a technician from the company that supplied the door preform an annual inspection, but I have grown dissatisfied with their laissez faire attitude. The last few guys they sent out seemed bothered by the appointment, so I took my garage door business elsewhere. I enlisted the support of a new technician, and he seems to understand and respect the level of care I have for this door and its seamless operation.

Chamberlain Liftmaster Formula I (Former)

This heavy wood door has faithfully been opened and closed thousands of times over the years by my trusty Chamberlain Liftmaster Formula I belt driven opener. This is a very popular garage door opener and it came as standard equipment with our new home. It is driven by a DC electrical engine that is capable of 1 HP making it the most powerful motor that Chamberlain produced at the time our home was constructed. In the ten years since this home was built, there have been a number of advancements in the garage door opener game so I replaced this Chamberlain with something even better in the early summer of 2020.

Liftmaster 8500W (Current)

In June of 2020, I elected to upgrade my garage door opener to a side-mount unit. The LiftMaster 8500W Wall Mount Opener does a remarkable job of opening and closing our heavy wood door. By fastening directly to the shaft of the door system, this opener renders overhead hardware and rails unnecessary thus freeing up valuable ceiling space. In addition to being quiet and powerful, the 8500W features a battery backup system, deadbolt lock and wifi compatibility allowing me to monitor and operate the door with my iPhone. I would like to extend my thanks to Mike Awada at Triton Door Services for the incredible service and installation experience.

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