Appropriate wood for attachment to steel frame garage doors?

[nonsibicunctis]

I have a brick garage attached to the side of the house.

I purchased two adjustable size gate frames from Bunnings and hung them.

I originally covered them with marine ply because I wanted to cover them with single sheets but after a couple of years it warped and was a mess.

So, I've removed the old cladding and now need to cover the frames with wood / synthetic slats or similar.

I'm a pensioner so need to do it as inexpensively as possible, consistent with a reasonable job.

I have the tools to sand rough timber and intend to undercoat and paint if necessary.

I have seen that 100 x 16 x 1800 treated pine palings (wet) are available but wonder how long I would have to wait for them to dry and if they would warp.  Obviously I want something that remains straight.

The doors at present are 100 cm and 152 cm 

The height from ground to roof beams is 184 cm so I thought that 1800 lengths would be o.k. with a 2 cm gap at bottom and top.  I could alway put a draft or wood strip at the top if that gap is a nuisance.

I'd appreciate any advice as to what might be the best options.

Thank you in anticipation.

  

[JacobZ · Accepted solution]

Hi @nonsibicunctis,

Thank you for reaching out for advice about cladding your gate frames.

If low cost is your main focus, then fence palings are certainly the way to go. They are sent to stores in packs that are still wet after the milling process, but if they are fixed to the frame straight away with 2 x screws into each horizontal member, then warping is relatively avoidable. Pretty much every fence you see will have had the palings installed, still a little wet. As long as they are fixed in multiple locations, warping is minimal.

Palings can be sanded and painted to suit, or left bare; the choice is yours. If you wanted to paint them, you could just use 3 coats of an exterior paint. As exterior paints are self-priming, there is no real need for an undercoat.

If you are after something a bit nicer to look at, you could use 90 x 19mm Merbau Decking, although it would require some upkeep in the form of decking oil every 1-2 years, depending on conditions.

You could also use something like Composite Decking if you'd like something prefinished with absolutely minimal upkeep, although it would be on the pricier end.

Whatever you choose to use, make sure you use 6 screws per length and that you leave a little bit of a gap between them for expansion.

Let me know what you think, and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

[nonsibicunctis]

Thank you for your advice.  I very much appreciate your help.

I wonder if you might just advise me on the width of the gap I should leave between the boards - 5mm ? 10mm or what would be best.  Thank you. 

[EricL]

Hello @nonsibicunctis 

I generally suggest using the thickness of the panel (16mm for fence paling and 19mm for Merbau decking) as spacing, you can go smaller, but I don't recommend going lower than 10mm. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know. 

Eric

[nonsibicunctis]

Eric, thank you very much for that information.  I had thought it would be the smaller gap rather than the larger one so you have saved me from a significant mistake, I think.  Thanks again - this is a great service and particularly for those such as myself who have no skills or training but are willing to or out of necessity have to, give it a go.

Take care.  Thanks again.

[EricL]

Hi @nonsibicunctis 

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your garage door frame covered up.

Eric