This was one monumental garage door! I was excited to use concepts tested in the large doors we had built in the past. The dimensions were 14' X 14', 3" thick, weighing in at 900 lbs. This was a chance to use a large, heavy 12’ wide by 3’ tall custom window section on top of enough solid sections to counter the weight, especially in Low Head Room track whose balance can be tricky if the entire door weight is not uniform.
But first, my customer Steve and I worked on the design together. Steve’s first priority was the insulation level or “R-Value” for the door. At that time, my best r-value was achieved by using the Thermospan series from Wayne Dalton as a base door to build on. Together with its high R-17.5, a “U-Value” or penetration value of 0.057 loss and its torsion box construction that includes two 1.75”, foamed in place, reinforcement struts that are roll-formed into the back skin of each section made it the perfect base door for the job. The use of Clear Eastern White Cedar as the front covering material furnished a wood with the same rot resistance as Western Red Cedar, but unlike its western cousin, it won’t bleed through paint.