Yearly cleaning and inspecting your wood garage door is easy. If the finish appears to be in good condition, cleaning and touch-up work is often adequate.
Remove dirt, chalk, and mildew by washing your wood door with a diluted solution of mild household detergent at a concentration of one cup in five gallons of warm water. Rinse with clear water after washing and allow to dry completely. If the finish is badly eroded and thin, clean the areas where the wood substrate is showing through as described above and prime those areas using an oil/alkyd primer. Follow the cleaning and priming with a complete priming and finish coating. If there is no bare wood showing through, finish coating only may be required.