Whether you’re curious about replacing your current garage door, installing a new one, or replacing the springs in your current door, it is helpful to understand how much your door weighs. If you’re looking for a solid wood garage door, these can weigh considerably more than you might imagine, so how much does a solid wood garage door weigh?
A solid wood garage door can start at as much as 300 lbs and increase depending on a few factors, including the size of the door, if you want your door insulated, and if you want windows in your door.
In this article we will discuss the approximate weight for single-car and double-car solid wood garage doors, the amount of weight that reinforcement struts and windows add to the door, and how to weigh your garage door.
How Are Solid Wood Doors Made?
The first thing we need to understand before discussing the exact weight of a solid wood garage door is how they are made.
Generally, a wooden garage door isn’t made using one solid piece of wood. Instead, they are made using wooden sheets that are layered together. This process is done in an attempt to avoid the door warping with time. The types of wood often used for wooden door construction are cedar, redwood, fir, and meranti.
In addition, even if you want a solid wood garage door, oftentimes they will still need struts in place for reinforcement. The reinforcement struts are generally made from steel.
Wooden garage doors are no longer an industry standard due to their weight and tendency to absorb moisture which can lead to warping and rot. However, many higher-end manufactures still produce them as they do look more elegant than steel doors. And, when taken care of correctly, wooden garage doors can have a similar longevity to steel doors.
How Much Does A Single-Car Solid Wood Garage Door Weigh?
A single-car garage door can come in many different sizes. However, the standard size for a single-car garage door would either be 8 feet – 9 feet wide and 7 feet – 8 feet high. Generally, newer construction homes will have the 9×7 garage doors, so your door size may depend somewhat on when your home was built.
A standard wooden single-car garage door will generally weigh around 300 lbs. However, this weight will increase depending on the thickness, struts added, windows, etc. We will discuss the amount of weight that each of these add later on in this article.
How Much Does A Double-Car Solid Wood Garage Door Weigh?
The next most common size of garage door would be the double-car garage. These are generally 16 feet wide and between 7 feet to 8 feet tall. The door is usually constructed using two single 8 feet wide garage door bays that are separated by a post or column in the middle.
Given that the door is double the size of a single-car door, they will generally weigh anywhere from 500-600 lbs.
What Can Increase The Weight Of My Garage Door?
There are a few different things that can and weight to your door, including:
- The thickness of your door
- Reinforcement struts added to your door, and
- Any windows added to your door.
How Does The Thickness Of My Door Affect Its Weight?
Although this might be an obvious addition, it is worth stating that the thicker the material of your door is, the more it will weigh. Garage doors will generally be anywhere between 1 inch – 3 inches thick, however the standard is around 2 inches.
How Does The Addition Of Reinforcement Struts Affect Weight?
Adding reinforcement struts to a garage door can be extremely important to ensure its integrity. They provide extra support to the door and prevent it from bulging out. Generally reinforcement struts are made from steel and can add quite a bit of weight.
Generally, there will be a 1 lb addition for each 12 inches of reinforcement added. So, if your garage door is 8 feet wide, it would add 8 lbs and if it is 16 feet wide it would add 16 lbs.
How Does The Addition Of Windows Affect Weight?
Most wooden garage doors will include windows due to their aesthetic appeal and numerous other benefits.
If you use one of the lightest window options, such as an acrylic window, they would likely only weigh around 1.5 lbs. This would be for a standard size 24 x 18 inches and a thickness of 0.08 inches.
Depending on how many windows you want in your door, this could add up to 10 lbs or more to the weight of your door. And, if you choose a thicker or heavier glass for your window, this will increase the weight by even more.
Why Do I Need To Know The Weight Of My Garage Door?
If you’re installing a new door it is extremely important to know how much your door will weigh. The garage-door opening system you use will only work if it is the right type for the weight of your door.
If it isn’t, then your door likely will not open, or you will wear out the system musch quicker and be forced to replace it sooner. Plus, the door needs to be able to be held securely at the top of your garage, if it is too heavy, you risk damaging the door, the opening system, and anything below the garage door.
How Can I Weigh My Current Garage Door?
If you are wanting to replace an existing door and want to make sure the weight is similar, then you need to weigh your existing door.
There are a few different steps to weigh your garage door, however it is a fairly easy process.
- Remove tension by unraveling the garage door springs,
- Slide your scale under the door,
- Close your door to weigh the scale.
It is important to use a scale that can support the weight of the door and always remember to put the tension springs back in place once you’re finished.
Final Thoughts: Solid Wood Garage Doors Weigh Anywhere From 300 – 600 lbs
Solid wood garage doors can increase the value of your home by a lot! However, they are one of the heaviest types of doors out there and require a significant amount of upkeep to keep them in good condition.
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