FAQs

Q: What are the benefits of a wood door over a steel door?
A:

1. Custom wood garage doors increase the property value of a home.
2. Enhance the aesthetic appeal of a front elevation with a custom wood garage door designed to complement the home's architectural style. With Summit Door, your options for size and design are limitless.
3. Flush door construction provides a blank canvas. Design options are virtually endless. Various wood species, finishing options, and hardware choices further extend the possibilities.
4. Unlike aluminum, wood is a natural insulator. It's made of microscopic hollow cells that produce high insulating values, helping keep your winters warm and your summer's cool.
5. Wood also serves as a superior sound barrier to other garage door facing materials.

Q: I have a custom-built garage with an unusual size, can you help?
A: If you have an odd shaped or odd sized garage door opening, look no further. Customization and Unique Designs are our specialty.


Q: My garage has very little space (headroom) above the door. What is the minimum headroom required to operate a sectional door?
A: Standard headroom applications require 12" to 18" of space between the bottom of the opening header and the unobstructed ceiling. However, Summit Door specializes in custom-built applications. A variety of special track options are available and make it possible for many unusual garages to be fitted with doors. By using low-headroom track, it is possible to install a door in an area that has as little as 4 1/2" of headroom. Other special track applications include:

• Vertical lift track - used in situations where the ceiling is extremely high and the garage door has room to lift straight up.
• Follow-the-roofline track- used when the ceiling of the garage is pitched at the angle of the roof, making it desirable for the door to follow the same angle, thus providing additional overhead room.
• Hi-lift track - used when the ceiling is unusually high, but the door must still retract to a horizontal position.

Q: What is Eastern Hardwood?
A: Eastern Hardwood is a blond colored hardwood. It is in the balsam poplar family of woods and comes to us from the eastern region of the United States.


Q: Why does Summit Door, Inc. use Eastern Hardwood?
A: Summit Door uses the Eastern Hardwood for clear rail doors in lieu of Doug Fir or Hem Fir due to the uncertainty and lack of availability of quality, clear lumber in these species. It is also one of the only types of wood with boards wide enough to produce a door panel without edge gluing.


Q: What kind of stain and varnish should I use?
A: Summit Door, Inc. does not specifically recommend one particular kind of stain or varnish over another. Please see our finishing instructions sections for more information.


Q: How do I know that I can finish the door myself and still maintain the manufacturer's warranty?
A: Summit Door, Inc. has a warranty on all products for one year. This warranty is valid, if and only if, the door is completely sealed on all six sides. The six sides refer to all the edges on each section, not just the front and the back of the door. Please refer to the warranty card for more details.


Q: How do I know if my door is properly balanced?
A: There are several tests you can perform to tell if your door is balanced:

• You should be able to raise your door in 1" increments and the door should stay in place where you stop it.
• When the door comes down it lowers in a controlled manner and does not slam.
• When the door goes up, it is at a controlled pace, and not trying to fly up.
• The bottom of the door should align with the bottom of the header when the door is in a raised position.

Q: What type of spring is better ... extension or torsion?
A: There are two types of springs used on garage doors today ... extension and torsion. Most people are more familiar with extension springs. These are the springs that are attached on either side of the door and stretch along the horizontal part of the track when the door is closed. Torsion springs are typically located just above the top section of the door and are mounted to the header. They are wound springs and do not expand or contract when the door is moved.

A torsion spring is a superior spring, primarily because it offers more safety to the homeowner and better balances the door to provide smoother operation. All of the Summit Door, Inc. orders come with torsion springs as standard.


Q: What type of care and maintenance is necessary for my Summit Door and hardware?
A: Periodic maintenance is required to optimize the life and beauty of your wood sectional garage door. The amount of moisture, direct sunlight exposure and accumulation of dust or soil all have an effect on the finish of your door and dictate the amount and frequency of maintenance. Annually check the doorÕs finish to verify that it is preventing moisture from reaching the surface. The finish will ÒtellÓ you if it needs to be restored. Look for evidence of dulling, a dry feeling, or rough texture. These are all indications that a finish restoration is needed. A whitish cast to the finish, particularly on doors exposed to sun and extreme moisture, is also a signal for finish restoration. Please see our Maintenance Section for more information.

In addition, lubrication is recommended on a yearly basis for the following hardware: pulleys, rollers, hinges and springs. Care should be taken when lubricating springs as they are under high tension. When applying lubricant, avoid any contact with the springs. Visually inspect springs and cable for wear and binding once each year and contact a professional garage door repairman if damage is suspected.