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 installation day back in 2010. 

Initially, the builder finished 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 Cabot's Australian Timber Oil. Due to the harshness of our climate in these parts, I end up reapplying a layer of Timber Oil on a semi-annual basis. 

The Cabot's Australian Timber Oil brings out the natural tones of the wood while also providing a waterproof seal.

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. 

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 understands and respects the level of care I have for this door and its seamless operation.

OPENERS

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 2020. 

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 eliminates the need for overhead hardware and rails. 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 remotely. 

I was somewhat surprised to see a number of unfavorable reviews of the Liftmaster 8500W posted to the company website. After reading them, I think it is important to take any review of the opener with a grain of salt since there is no way of knowing if the opener is the root of the reviewer's problem or if the issue is being caused by any one of the many other components and factors that contribute to the proper functioning of a garage door opener system. There are many moving parts here, and this is why I strongly believe that having a qualified, professional and experienced technician install the opener is paramount.

​Once again, I wish to extend my thanks to Mike Awada at Triton Door Services for the professional service.

If you have any questions or comments regarding my garage door, feel free to contact me