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Great Home and Garden Improvement Tips

Hi! My name is Gary and this is my home and garden improvement blog. My passion for working on my home and garden began when I bought my first house. It was a run down little place in the suburbs of Sydney. Even though the place was in a bit of a state, it was in a fantastic location. I spent many hours reading up on DIY and gardening tips before setting about improving the place. It was a lot of hard work but it was also a lot of fun. I learnt a lot during that time so I decided to start this blog.

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Knock On Wood: What To Look For When Choosing A Timber Garage Door

by admin

While steel may set the standard for garage door materials, wooden garage doors have a lot of appeal, as well as many fine properties suited to garage door building. However, choosing a wooden garage door can be something of an overwhelming experience, with an enormous variety of woods, designs and finishes on offer. As such, when shopping around for a new wooden garage door, remember to keep the following factors in mind before choosing your new door:

Hardwood or softwood?

The first choice you should make when deciding which type of wood to choose is whether to go for a hardwood or a softwood. Hardwoods are generally (but not always) stronger than their softwood cousins, providing better security against thieves and accidental damage -- however, hardwoods also tend to be heavier than softwoods, potentially making them impractical for use with automatic garage door lifts. 

What properties should I look for in a wood?

The timber you choose for your garage door should be strong and durable, but should also ideally be light enough to install and use relatively easily. Other desirable properties include resistance to weather, rot, wood-boring insect attacks and damage caused by prolonged exposure to sunlight. The door you choose should also be made of a wood that absorbs paints and weatherproofing treatments relatively well, as your door will require occasional repainting and/or retreating to keep it in optimal condition. Finally, you should of course choose a wood you find attractive.

What are some suitable woods to choose from?

The choice of wood to go for is ultimately up to you, of course -- however, the following woods are generally well suited for use in garage doors:

  • Idigbo -- This pale African hardwood is durable and surprisingly light, but may become stained by iron and steel fittings.
  • Meranti -- Choose dark red meranti if you can find it, as it is the most resistant to fungal decay.
  • Cebil -- Tremendously strong, and will shrug off most termite attacks even without insecticidal treatments. However it is relatively heavy, and can be difficult to find.
  • Poplar -- A common general purpose construction wood, poplar is light and relatively strong for a softwood. It will require extensive treatments to prevent rot, but is very easy to find, giving you many options.
  • Redwood -- An attractive and distinctively coloured softwood, redwood is light and has a very long lifespan, but can be vulnerable to accidental damage.

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