Wooden Garage Doors & Humidity

Appearance matters a lot when deciding which material to use for your garage door but that's not the only concern. You need to look for the most durable material, one that would withstand the climatic pressures and changes in the surrounding. Wooden garage doors are the best cherry to put ontop of your cake, in terms of appearance, but that's not all. The type of wood to use is an important matter that depends on a variety of factors.

First of all, you need to determine what type of climate you live in and what type of climatic changes you might experience during the year. In case, your wooden garage door has to bear severe winds, then you should be aware that it might cause you problems. Even extreme hot climate is not favorable for wood either as it leads to a rise is moisture level in the wood. Due to this, extreme weather conditions reacting upon your wooden garage door can definitely increase humidity in your garage. Damage to your wooden door can really cost you a lot, in comparison to steel, aluminum or any other material. So analyze your climate before you go after a fancy wooden garage door.

Usually, people do not opt for wooden doors because of their high price. On top of that, if you go for a 'good quality' wooden door, you can well imagine how you might be scared away. Usually people who are aware economically, offset their 'insulated' wooden door's expense with a Federal Tax Credit, entitled to them under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Anyhow, even if you are not aware, the wooden door manufactures often inform their customers about it and help them out- if you are lucky enough!

Wooden garage doors mainly come in four types- sliding look, the tri fold, the quad and the swing look. The major differences in these types are in their functioning, their positioning or their maneuverability. Usually, the woods used for these doors are hemlock, cedar and sometimes even the redwood. Although they are not as reliable and classy as the oak doors, but they are less prone to rotting or severe climatic influences. But remember, these types of wood can't match oak in strength either.

A major drawback of hemlock, cedar or redwood is that they have a high level of natural oil content in them. Wood normally absorbs moisture during periods of high humidity and releases it during periods of low humidity. The absorbing procedure causes the wood to swell and the releasing process leads to the shrinking of the wood. So, the end result is a deshaped and damaged wooden door.

You might feel discouraged by now, but where there is a will, there is a way. So, you can probably work a bit hard and maintain the classy exterior and the healthy interior of your wooden garage door. Try keeping the room humidity and moisture level around 25 percent. If that's too low to maintain then at least don't exceed 55 percent moisture level. You would have to inspect and maintain the level constantly. You could probably make your work easier by applying quality paint as a sealant, which would reduce chances of warping or absorption of moisture. By being a bit careful, you can surely enjoy the luxurious feel of a high quality wooden garage door.