Garage door maker
Wood and carriage house garage doors, rebuilt where rot allows
We repair wood and carriage house garage doors on Vancouver, WA and Clark County houses: springs sized for their real weight, rotted bottom sections replaced while the wood above is sound, and new seals that keep rain off the end grain.
Updated
Wood and carriage door around Clark County
Wood doors on Clark County houses come from three places: doors built on site for older garages, factory wood sectionals, and custom doors built to order by wood shops in the region. All three share two enemies here, water and weight.
The older Vancouver grid holds many of the site-built ones. Hough, added to the state heritage register in 2003, holds houses built chiefly between about 1890 and 1945, the city notes that Carter Park has garages on its alleys, and listings in Hough and Shumway show detached alley garages from the 1910s to the 1930s.
Factory wood and wood-look doors cover the newer end: Clopay Reserve and Classic Wood, Hörmann Wood Heritage in cedar, redwood, alder, fir and meranti, wood overlays on C.H.I. steel, and composite carriage doors such as Canyon Ridge, Clima Elite and Eden Coast that give the look without the rot.
Is it a Wood and carriage door? How to check
Real wood, wood overlays and composite look alike from the street, so check these before deciding what the door needs.
- Find a chipped edge: real wood shows grain under the paint, composite shows an even core, and steel shows bare metal.
- Look at the bottom rail and the lower corners of each panel; real wood shows checking, swelling or soft spots, while composite and steel do not.
- Look inside: a wood sectional shows wood stiles and rails or a backer, while an overlay door shows a steel back.
- Count the hinges and springs. A one-piece door with pivot arms and side springs is a tilt-up, and a door hung on strap hinges at the jambs is a swing-out carriage door with no springs at all.
Wood and carriage door models in local garages
These are the wood and carriage-look doors found on Clark County garages, from century-old alley doors to current factory lines.
| Model | Sold | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Site-built wood doors on older garages | Varies with the garage | Board or panel doors built for the detached garages of the older grid and of Kelso and Longview, often on extension springs and often heavier than any spring chart assumes. |
| Factory wood sectionals | Current | Clopay Reserve and Classic Wood, Hörmann Wood Heritage Classic and Amarr By Design. Built in sections on torsion springs, and, per Clopay, finished on all sides before installation. |
| Wood overlays on steel | Current | C.H.I. overlay carriage doors offer wood overlays on two-sided steel; the overlays still need paint and add weight. |
| Composite carriage doors | Current | Clopay Canyon Ridge and Coachman, Hörmann Clima Elite 5800 and Raynor Eden Coast. A wood look over insulated steel, heavier than plain steel and far less prone to rot. |
| One-piece wood tilt-up doors | Varies with the garage | A single slab that swings out past the opening on side springs or a torsion setup. Rot at the bottom and worn pivot hardware are the usual repairs. |
Common Wood and carriage door problems and repairs
Wet winters wear wood doors down in these ways, each with its repair.
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A spring broke or the door feels heavier every winter
The scale comes first; then we choose springs heavy enough for that reading, moving to two springs or longer ones where a single spring cannot carry it. Garage Door Spring Replacement, from $245
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The bottom rail is soft and dark where it meets the slab
Where the rot stops at the bottom rail, we replace the bottom section or rebuild it in matching wood, sealed and primed on every face before it goes up. Garage Door Panel Replacement, from $445
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The bottom seal is gone and rain wicks into the end grain
Replacing the bottom seal, in a retainer sized to the door, lets water shed off the slab instead of soaking the wood. Garage Door Weather Seal Replacement, from $145
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A wood tilt-up door that sags or fights you going up
We replace worn pivot hardware and side springs, then balance it so it swings up evenly. Tilt-Up Garage Door Repair, from $195
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Rot has climbed past the bottom section
Once rot reaches the hinge rails of several sections, replacing the door is usually the cheaper path. We price wood, wood-look composite and steel options. New Garage Door Installation, from $1195
Why a heavy wood door gets weighed first
A wood door has to be weighed, not looked up, because two doors the same size can differ widely with species, thickness, overlays and the water the wood holds. The spring has to match the weight on the scale.
Outdoor wood here sits at about 17 percent moisture in December against about 12 in July, so a door balanced in summer can drift heavier through the wet months. We size the springs for the weight we measure, make sure the drums and cables suit the load, and suggest a balance check each fall.
The test is simple: with the opener disconnected, a door in balance stays where you let go of it, about halfway up. A wood door that sinks there needs more spring, not a stronger opener.
Stopping rot at the bottom of a wood door
Rot starts where wood stays wet: the bottom rail, the lower panel corners and the jamb legs at the slab. Wood kept under about 20 percent moisture resists decay, and outdoor wood here sits near that line all winter.
If the rot stops at the bottom rail, we replace or rebuild that section and leave the rest. Sealed end grain, paint on every face and a fresh seal along the bottom hold off the next repair. On Hough and Carter Park alley garages, the new section often goes in by hand down the alley.
Refinishing a wood door on a wet-county schedule
Plan on refinishing every one to two years, and every year on a door that faces the weather. Clopay calls for one to two years and more often in high-moisture areas, and Amarr says a wood door may need it each year.
Measurable rain falls at Pearson Field on roughly 163 days in an average year, about 20 of them in December. Bare wood, a cracked joint or a chipped bottom edge lets that water in, so a fall touch-up beats a full refinish left too long.
Questions from Wood and carriage door owners
How are springs sized for a heavy wood garage door?
By weighing it, then choosing springs whose wire size and length carry that weight. A heavy wood door may need two springs or longer springs, plus drums and lift cables rated for the load. We also suggest a balance check each fall, because wood carries more water from November through February.
Can a rotted bottom on a wood garage door be repaired?
Yes, when the rot stops at the bottom rail or the bottom section. We replace or rebuild that section in matching wood, prime and seal every face, and add a new seal at the bottom. If soft wood has reached the hinge rails of the sections above, a new door usually makes more sense.
Does a new wood garage door need finishing on every side before it goes up?
Yes, on every side. Clopay calls for its wood doors to be painted or stained on all sides before installation, which includes the back face and the top and bottom edges, where bare end grain would soak up rain. Sections we rebuild get the same treatment.
Can a wood garage door be made for an odd-size alley garage?
Yes. Custom wood doors are built to the opening, which suits the narrow or tall openings on older detached garages. We take the opening's width and height plus headroom and side clearance, price a door from a wood door maker, and size new springs to the finished door.
How long does a custom wood garage door take to arrive?
That comes down to the maker and the design, because a custom wood door is only made once it is ordered. We pass along the maker's lead time with the quote and keep the old door working in the meantime. Factory wood lines in standard sizes arrive sooner than a fully custom door.
Does a wood garage door really get heavier in the rainy season?
Yes, a little. Outdoor wood here swings from about 12 percent moisture in July to about 17 percent in December, and that water adds weight. A door balanced in August can sink at halfway by January. A fall balance check, with a small spring adjustment if needed, keeps it lifting evenly.
Where to go next
Wood and carriage door repair near you
We work on Wood and carriage door equipment in Yacolt, Cascade Park, Felida and across Clark County, at the same posted prices.
We also work on
Want a price before anyone drives over?
Call and describe what the door is doing, or text a photo of the door and the spring above it. You hear the likely repair and where its price starts, then decide.