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Custom Wood Garage Doors in Southern California: A Homeowner’s Guide

mesa garage doors repair

Your garage door is one of the largest design elements on the front of your home, often 30% or more of the façade. A handcrafted wood door doesn’t just open and close; it sets the entire tone of your curb appeal. At Mesa Garage Doors, we’ve spent more than 35 years helping Southern California homeowners achieve exactly that, and in this guide we’ll walk you through everything you should know before going custom.

Why Choose a Custom Wood Garage Door?

Stock, mass-produced doors look like exactly that: the same panel repeated down the block. A custom wood garage door is built around your home. The payoff is three-fold: standout curb appeal that neighbors notice, genuine craftsmanship you can see and feel in the grain, and lasting value that a premium material brings to your property. For a home you’re proud of, wood is the upgrade that reads as “custom” from the street.

Built in Our Own In-House Wood Shop

Here’s what sets us apart: we don’t order your door from a catalog and wait. We build our custom wood garage doors by hand, in our own in-house wood shop. That means tighter quality control, a door made to your exact measurements, and the freedom to build a design that’s truly one of a kind, not whatever a factory happens to offer. From the first cut to the final coat, your door is crafted by our own team.

Choose Your Design, Wood Species, and Finish

A custom door means you make the decisions. We guide you through three key choices.

Wood species

Each wood brings its own look and personality. This table sums up the most popular options:

Wood species Look & color Durability & notes Best for
Cedar Light grain, warm tone Lightweight; naturally resists warping and insects Sunny California climates; versatile styling
Mahogany Deep reddish tones, luxurious Very dense and stable; furniture-grade finish Premium, elegant façades
Redwood Warm reddish color Naturally moisture-resistant; ages gracefully Classic and rustic styles

Design and style

From classic carriage house doors with decorative hardware to clean, contemporary lines, we match the door to your architecture, whether your home is Spanish, Craftsman, modern, or ranch.

Finish

Stain the wood to show off its natural grain, or go with a painted finish to complement your trim and color palette. The choice is yours; we help you get it right.

Designed to Match Your Southern California Home’s Style

Southern California neighborhoods are full of distinct architecture, and a great garage door should feel like it was always meant to be there. A Spanish-style home calls for different detailing than a mid-century modern. Because every door from Mesa Garage Doors is custom, we tailor the proportions, panel layout, and hardware so the finished result looks intentional, not bolted on.

                                                     

 From Measurement to Professional Installation

A beautiful door is only as good as its installation. With us, you get a true turnkey process:

  1. Free design estimate: we talk through your vision, style, and budget.
  2. Precise measurement: so your door fits perfectly the first time.
  3. In-house build: handcrafted in our wood shop to your specs.
  4. Professional installation: installed and balanced by our experienced, licensed team.

You choose the look; we handle everything else.

Caring for Your Wood Garage Door

With a little upkeep, a quality wood door will reward you for decades. Keep it looking its best by rinsing off dust and debris a couple of times a year, inspecting the finish annually, and re-staining or resealing when the surface starts to dull, especially on sun-exposed façades. Catching small wear early keeps the wood protected against the Southern California sun and the occasional rain.

Why Southern California Homeowners Choose Mesa Garage Doors

For over 35 years, we’ve been the trusted name for garage doors across Southern California. Homeowners choose us because of our track record:

  • 3,500+ five-star reviews and over 500,000 satisfied customers
  • A+ BBB rating and fully licensed (State License #759310)
  • A dedicated in-house wood shop and experienced installation crews
  • Free design estimates with no pressure

When you want a door that’s genuinely custom, and a team that’s been doing this right for decades, you want Mesa.

Ready to Design Your Custom Wood Garage Door?

Bring your vision and we’ll help you build it, start to finish. Schedule your free design estimate today. Call Now or request your quote online, and let’s create a one-of-a-kind wood garage door that makes your Southern California home stand out.

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What to Do If You’re Locked Out of Your Garage

Getting accidentally locked out of your garage is never pleasant. There may be important matters to tend to at home and a jammed garage door opener can prevent entry in an emergency. How you handle the problem is critical. As many as 30,000 people are injured every year by garage door accidents, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. And, with the number of coronavirus/COVID-19 cases rising daily, distancing yourself from others can be difficult if you’re stuck outside and can’t seek shelter in your home.

Whether the radio signal is jammed, there’s a power outage, or your garage door remote has failed, or you can’t regain access due to a mechanical problem or electrical problem, here are some ways you can proceed:

Try the Manual Release

Chances are, your garage door opener has a manual release device. Most openers do, and many older doors have an exterior handle that triggers the manual release from outside. It can be found at the bottom or on the surface of the garage door. Using it will trigger and unlock the garage door.

Invest in a Wi-Fi Enabled Opener

A Wi-Fi enabled garage door opener can be controlled using your smartphone or tablet, via a dedicated app. Investing in one is a good idea if you keep getting locked out. It bypasses the radio frequency system when the opener fails. In addition, it lets you monitor use of the garage door, or even lock or disable the system, using a digital control panel.

Call a Locksmith

If you locked the door manually and didn’t re-engage the electric opener, you may not be able to get back inside. There may also be damage to the system. You could always call a locksmith to repair or replace the manual lock and/or provide you with a new key if one is broken or lost.

The DIY Approach – Not Recommended!

Another technique, if there’s no signal or your remote control isn’t working, is to drill a hole into the garage door. This is easier if your door has a thin aluminum skin. Access the center of the door near the top. Once the hole is cut, reach in with a spider tool to grab the red emergency release rope. Pulling it down will engage the door opening system so you can manually open the garage door.

Installing a vault lock in the hole you drilled provides access in case you have future garage access problems. It can be secured in place using the vault lock brackets and by drilling holes on either side of the lock to bolt it in place. Connect the vault lock to the emergency release handle with a cable or rope, and it can be used any time.

You can also remove the bottom roller from one side of the door. This will let you push the door in to crawl inside. But either of these methods come with risks of injury and damage to the door. It’s, therefore, best to have a technician check the door and door opener, who can save you headaches and money down the road.

Contact Mesa Garage Doors for Help

Servicing Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County, Mesa Garage Doors provides installation and repairs, while offering the lowest price guarantee. We service many types of garage doors and garage door openers. For a free repair estimate, contact us at 800-893-1107; our company is available 24/7 to respond to your emergency.

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What to Do When Your Garage Door Remote Is Stolen

mesa garage door remote

Burglars are keen on compromising garage security to gain access to homes. You might not think of someone stealing a garage door remote. But it does happen. When someone has access to your remote control, they can open the garage at any time. This leaves your home vulnerable to break-ins, which is never a happy thought, especially during the current coronavirus outbreak.

Stealing garage door opener remotes is an opportunity for criminals. Aside from the spread of germs, there are many other concerns. A criminal can get their hands on a garage door remote that’s left visible inside your car, whether near the visor, rearview mirror, or center console. Their next stop is often the glove compartment, where the car registration will reveal your address; once a burglar finds that, they’re in business.

If you’re unfortunate enough to have your garage door remote stolen, here are some important steps to take:

Method #1: Disable/Reprogram Your Garage Door Remote

Disable your garage door opener so it cannot receive the signal from the remote control. To do this, press the Smart Button on the garage door opener’s motor. Any remote or keypad used to operate it will be deprogrammed; no signal will reach the receiver. Most openers use rolling codes that change every time the system is used and come with this intuitive feature just in case.

Make sure to deprogram all devices linked to your garage door.

After you deprogram the remote, you’ll want to reprogram the remote so you can use your garage door again. The garage door manual should explain the proper procedure for this, but copies of the maintenance manual can also be found on the manufacturer’s website. A new transmission code will enable you to regain access to your garage.

Method #2: Use the Control Panel

If the control panel is near the door or otherwise easily accessible, use the LOCK button to disable any remote signals that come in. You can still open and close the garage door using the panel. For a doorbell-type wall control, unplug the opener and use the red emergency release cord to operate the garage door instead. You can operate the door manually for now and install a lock on the side to secure it.

Garage doors come with manual controls in case of a power outage or other emergency. You can use these at any time if there is a mechanical or electrical problem, you feel there’s a safety issue, or to do maintenance.

Method #3: Install the MyQ System on Your Smartphone

LiftMaster and other brands provide an intuitive control feature called the MyQ system, which installs on your smartphone. It allows you to access the wireless system remotely. There is no need to reprogram your smartphone. This software also lets you monitor your garage door opener in real-time—from anywhere.

Take Preventative Measures

Prevention makes it harder for thieves to steal garage remotes. To reduce your chances of becoming a victim of garage remote theft:

  • Always keep your car doors locked
  • Avoid putting the remote in plain sight
  • Hide your vehicle registration in a less popular place
  • Fit a mini remote on your keychain
  • Use a deadbolt for securing your garage door

Call Mesa Garage Doors for Help

Whether you need repairs, a battery, or to improve garage security, Mesa Garage Doors is here to help. If you’ve had a garage door remote stolen or feel at risk, contact us 24/7 for assistance. We can be reached anytime at 800-893-1107.

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