Wooden garage doors are classic. They have a very old-fashioned, retro look to them that is really appealing to a lot of people. If you have wooden garage doors, then you know how nice these doors look. If, however, your doors are not looking so nice lately, then you need the three R's of garage door service; removal, resurfacing, and reinstallation. Here is what you need to know. 

Removal

On the day of the service call (which has to be scheduled in advance), the technician removes the doors from their hinges or casters. They might examine how well the doors fit and move, and make repairs as needed. Then the doors are prepped for the resurfacing process. 

Resurfacing

​Resurfacing might take more than just a few hours. It might take a couple of days. Plan to leave your vehicle(s) out of the garage during that time. The doors are then set up horizontally on a couple of sawhorses or a portable carpentry table. They are clamped down so that they do not move.

The technician then chooses between sanding off the finish or paint, or using a chemical stripper to remove the finish/paint. Sanding takes a lot longer, so most technicians choose to use a stripper. The stripping chemical is painted on and left to sit for several minutes to work its way down through the layers of paint or finish. Then the technician uses a scraper to remove all of the stuff that has bubbled up and come loose. When they gets down to bare wood, the sander is used to smooth out all of the wood and prep it for refinishing or painting, your choice. A few coats of paint or finish later, and the doors sit until they are dry. This has to be repeated on both sides, which is why it takes so long. 

Reinstallation

​Finally, the doors are finished. They can be reinstalled, using new hardware to ensure free-flowing movement with no squeaks or sticking, jerking movements. This will take a couple of hours. The doors are tested when the technician is finished reinstalling them. If they work as expected, They pack up the tools, sawhorses, table, etc., you pay them and they leave. You only have to do this whole project again in about ten to fifteen years, unless some serious damage hits the wooden garage doors. Then they may need replacing, if the damage is bad enough.