FAQ #2: Do wood doors require a lot of maintenance?

Here’s the deal.

If you’re considering stain grade wood doors for your new home or as an upgrade to an existing home that means that your garage doors are a prominent feature on the front of your home.  There are several factors to consider and one of them is maintenance. The true enemy of a fine wood garage door is sunlight. The first line of defense against this has already been taken care of.

Hamilton Door Company uses Carriage House Door Company exclusively for all of their stain grade products and that is very good news for you. CHD will not use products that it knows will fail. The wood species and veneer products they use are time-tested and will last as long as they are properly stained, clear-coated and cared for.

You are essentially buying a very good sail boat. Take care of it.

The most common mistake made by builders and homeowners is not using the proper varnishes, paints or sealers. Do not try to save money at this point in the process. Standard polyurethanes will dry out on a garage door and it will “Delaminate” ( that’s a fancy word for wear off or crack). Marine grade varnishes such as Sikkens are made to stay pliable.

Remember unlike your entry door, garage doors move, a lot. They bow and bend and if the stuff you put on them fails they will become damaged. Hamilton Door Company offers state-of-the-art finishing and will handle all of the logistics of that process from introduction to our stain and finish source (who will meet with you to create color-match samples) to process and delivery of the final product to be installed.

If you are a do-it-yourselfer we are always happy to make recommendations.

FAQ #1: What should I look for when comparing price and quality for custom garage doors?

Hamilton Door Company will not be the cheapest alternative for your garage doors. But we will be the best.

This is a buyer beware market. Over the last decade the demand for a more authentic look or a “carriage house style” garage door has increased.  Over the last 5 years it has exploded.

Depending on your price point and the level of craftsmanship you desire, there are many more choices today than 10 years ago. But be careful!  There are no shortcuts to building a garage door that is an authentic match to old school carriage style doors.

There are many small manufacturers that have jumped on the bandwagon and tried to make a cheaper version of the real thing. These doors may be different in many ways, but the most common difference they share is poor quality.

We know that price is a strong driver for most people making this decision, but don’t let it be the only factor. Be especially careful when considering the frame of the door. Open-back non-insulated stain-grade doors are vulnerable to stress and strength issues and usually offer little protection from rot. Steel doors with stainable wood overlays are also risky business. These doors are usually made with inferior stain grade woods and sheet goods.

Without the proper carriage frame structure, most of these imitators will have you wishing you had spent the few extra bucks to do it right the first time. Then there is cypress. We have tested grade A+ cypress and it failed miserably. There is a trend in building garage doors with cypress that we will not be supporting, nor will our manufacturer (Carriage House Door Company) build with this inconsistent material.

Hamilton Door Company is fiercely competitive and continues to find innovative solutions to the challenges our builders and homeowners face. We believe that our products offer both quality and strong price structures.  Lots to think about when trying to get the best bang for your buck.

Here is one more thing to think about.  Carriage House Door Company is open to the public. Think about that. You can walk in off the street and they will show you how they build their doors. That means quality and it also means they aren’t hiding anything. Remember, Buyer Beware.