Custom garage doors
Wood garage doors and carriage house doors from Carriage House Doors in North Carolina.
We’re an authorized distributor for Carriage House Doors, out of North Carolina. Real wood is heavy, has to be finished and wants resealing every year, and it holds heat as well as an insulated steel door, or better.
Quickest is a call: (615) 810-6415
How much does the wood look cost?
It depends how much of it is real wood. You can get the look at three very different price levels:
- Stamped steel. A wood grain pressed into a steel door. The least expensive way to get there.
- Composite overlay. A wood-look composite skin on the outside face of the door.
- Real wood. A species you choose, with a stain, usually over an insulated core. The most expensive, and the species moves the price.
Once you know which level fits the budget, the rest of the choices get a lot easier. Clay or Chad will price the door you settle on.
Does a wood door insulate?
Better than most people expect. Today’s wood doors hold heat as well as an insulated steel door, often better, and far better than aluminum and glass. We bring samples out that show the insulation engineered between the layers of different wood door styles, which settles the question faster than a spec sheet.
They aren’t the solid planks of the old days, either. A modern wood door is built in layers around a core, and that’s where the insulation lives.
Who finishes a wood door?
You do, or your painter does, and that saves money. Every wood door beyond stamped steel needs a finish. Instead of paying the factory to stain it, we deliver the door uninstalled so your painter can stain or seal each section on its own, every face and edge. That keeps moisture out and keeps the manufacturer’s warranty intact. Then we come back and hang it.
Build that step into the schedule; it’s the one people forget. After that, plan on resealing the door every 12 months to keep the finish holding up.
What opener does a wood door need?
A stronger one. Wood doors are heavy, so they need a commercial-style opener to hold up over the years, and springs sized to match. That can mean fewer Wi-Fi features than the newest home units offer. Given what the door costs, a motor built for the load is the better buy. The garage door openers page has the rest.
Is a carriage house door right for your house?
If the house is colonial or craftsman, very likely. Traditional raised-panel carriage-house doors in wood suit those styles. A carriage house door looks like a pair of swing-out barn doors, with handles and strap hinges, but it lifts overhead in sections like any other garage door. The decorative hardware is what finishes the look.
Answers
Wood garage doors: questions people ask
Are real wood garage doors more expensive than wood-look steel?
Yes. Stamped wood-grain steel is the least expensive way to get the look, a composite overlay costs more, and real wood with a stain, usually over an insulated core, costs the most. Within that top level, the species of wood moves the price.
Are wood garage doors well insulated?
Modern ones are. A wood door from Carriage House Doors insulates as well as an insulated steel door or better, and far better than aluminum and glass, because the insulation is engineered into the door between its layers. We can bring samples so you can see the construction.
How long do wood garage doors last?
As long as the finish is kept up. Wood fails when water gets in, so every section should be sealed on all sides before it’s hung and the door resealed once a year. Let that slip and the bottom section and the edges are the first places to go.
Can I stain or paint a wood garage door myself?
Yes, and it saves money. We deliver the door uninstalled so you or your painter can finish each section separately, which seals every surface and satisfies the manufacturer’s warranty. Allow time for it in the schedule; we come back to install once the finish has dried.
What is a carriage house garage door?
It’s an overhead sectional door styled after the old swing-out doors on a carriage house or barn, usually with handles and strap hinges. It opens straight up like any other garage door. It suits colonial and craftsman houses, in real wood or a wood look.
Do wood garage doors need a special opener?
They need a stronger one. A heavy wood door should run on a commercial-style opener with springs matched to its weight, or the motor wears out early. The trade-off is that some commercial-style units have fewer Wi-Fi and app features than the newest home models.