If you have recently noticed an area of your wood garage door where there is a small hole or crack, you may be able to make a repair to it instead of having the entire wood panel replaced. Smaller blemishes are not that difficult to repair and should be able to be done on your own with the help of some household tools. Here are some instructions for you to use when doing a wood garage door repair on your own, possibly saving you the cost of replacement.

Materials You Will Need

• Bucket of soapy water
• Non-abrasive sponge
• Needle nose pliers
• Epoxy wood putty
• Screwdriver
• Sanding tool
• Medium and fine-grit sandpaper

Evaluate The Damage

Before starting a repair on a wooden garage door, take a good look at the damage to determine if it will be an easy fix or if you need professional assistance. Go inside your garage and look at the wood from the interior. If the crack or hole goes straight through the wood, a professional garage door repair service would be a better choice than trying to do the repair on your own. You risk having further damage to the wood when the hole or crack goes straight though and you try to open the door. 

Prepare The Surface

Before doing the repair, thoroughly clean the spot with the damage. This helps the wood filler to adhere to the broken pieces of wood in the damaged area. Fill a bucket with water and add a mild detergent. Dip a non-abrasive sponge into the soapy water and use it to scrub the affected area. If there are splintered pieces of wood seen in the area, use a pair of needle nose pliers to remove the wood slivers. Allow the door to dry completely.

Fill In The Hole Or Crack

To repair a hole or crack, a substance will need to be applied to fill in the area from view. Epoxy wood putty works best for this type of damage. Roll a small piece of the substance in between your fingers to help warm it, making it pliable. Push it into the damaged area using your fingers. If the damaged spot is a crack, use a flat-head screwdriver to push it into place. Smooth the wood putty over the surface of the garage door, trying to make it as uniform as possible. Allow the putty to harden according to the packaging directions.

Do Finishing Touches

After the wood putty hardens into place, use a sanding machine with medium-grit sandpaper to file down the putty so that it is level with the rest of your wood door. Smooth further using a piece of fine-grit sandpaper. Your garage door is now ready for repainting.

Talk to experts like DSI Door Services North Shore for more information.