Solid meranti panels
The classic. Raised or flat panels, stained or sealed clear, and the profile matched to the house rather than to a catalogue.
- R13 000 – R60 000+ fitted
Wooden garage doors
Meranti still does something no factory finish quite manages. It is also the most demanding door we fit. Buy one because you love it and you will maintain it — not because it was on the mood board.
Meranti and hardwood
Custom sizes and profiles
Heavier — springs sized properly
Same-day calloutsAcross Gauteng, 7 days a week
Fixed price before we startWritten quote on site, nothing added later
12-month workmanship guaranteeOn every door, motor and repair
Fully stocked vehiclesSprings, cables and motors on board
Wood
Beautiful, heavy and honest about what it wants from you
A well-made meranti door on a face-brick house is one of the genuinely lovely things in South African domestic architecture. Nothing printed, powder-coated or moulded looks quite like real timber, and it never will.
It is also the most demanding door we fit, and we would rather tell you that now than in year four. Wood is heavy, which means the springs must be weighed and matched properly and the motor must be specified for the mass — a light motor on a hardwood double will not see out its warranty.
And wood needs sealing. On the Highveld, with fierce UV and a hard rainy season, a meranti door wants re-sealing every two to three years. Skip it and the door greys, the grain lifts, the bottom rail starts drinking water off the driveway, and eventually the whole thing warps far enough that it stops running true in the tracks.
Maintain it and it will outlive most of what is on the house. Neglect it and you will be phoning us in year six, and we will be telling you something you do not want to hear.
- Meranti is the South African standard: workable, stable, beautiful
- Custom panel profiles, glazing and hardware
- Heavier than steel — springs and motor must be sized for it
- Needs sealing every 2–3 years on the Highveld
- Bottom rail is the vulnerable point — keep it sealed
- Steel with a woodgrain finish is the maintenance-free alternative
Timber options
How people specify a wooden door
All of them can be automated, provided the springs and motor are sized to the finished weight.
Timber with glazing
Glazed top panels bring daylight into the garage and lift the whole elevation. They also add weight — which is fine, provided the hardware is specified for it.
- Adds weight — springs matched
Hardwood alternatives
Where budget and stability matter, other hardwoods and engineered timber options exist. We will talk you through what is available and what actually lasts here.
- Honest advice on species
Woodgrain steel
If you want the look but you know yourself well enough to admit you will never re-seal anything: powder-coated steel with a woodgrain finish. Far cheaper, and no maintenance at all.
- The pragmatic compromise
Automating a timber door
Heavier door, bigger motor. This is not the place to save R800 — an undersized motor on a hardwood double will fail, and it will take the gearbox with it.
- Motor sized to the mass
Restoring an existing timber door
Rot in the bottom rail, a sagging panel, hardware that has pulled out of the timber. Often repairable, and often cheaper than replacing.
- Assessed honestly
Looking after it
The maintenance a wooden door actually needs
None of it is difficult. All of it is non-negotiable if you want the door to reach year fifteen.
Re-seal every 2–3 yearsSooner on a west-facing door that takes the afternoon sun.
Watch the bottom railIt sits closest to the water. It is always the first thing to go.
Do not let water pool against itCheck the fall on your driveway. It matters more than people think.
Keep the drainage gap clearA blocked gap under the door holds water against the timber.
Have the springs checked yearlyA heavy door works its hardware harder than a light one.
Do not power-wash itYou will drive water into the grain and lift the seal.
FAQ
Wooden door questions
Cost, maintenance, warping and whether it is worth it.
Still not sure?
Send us a photo of your garage door on WhatsApp. We can usually tell you what has failed before we load the van.
WhatsApp a photoHow much does a wooden garage door cost in South Africa?
A single meranti door runs roughly R13 000 – R30 000 supplied and fitted; a double runs R22 000 to well past R60 000 depending on size, panel profile, glazing and the timber itself. It is the most expensive material we fit, and the one that most rewards being specified properly.
How often do wooden garage doors need sealing?
Every two to three years on the Highveld, and sooner on a west-facing door that takes the full afternoon sun. This is not optional maintenance — it is the difference between a door that lasts twenty years and one that warps out of its tracks in eight.
Do wooden garage doors warp?
They can, and the cause is almost always moisture: an unsealed door, a bottom rail that has been standing in water, or a driveway that falls towards the garage rather than away from it. A properly sealed, well-drained meranti door stays true for decades.
Can a wooden garage door be automated?
Yes, but the motor must be sized to the actual weight of the door, not to the size of the opening. A hardwood double is a serious piece of mass, and an undersized motor will labour, overheat and eventually strip its gears. This is the single most common mistake we see on timber doors.
Is a woodgrain steel door a reasonable alternative?
For a lot of people, yes — and we will say so honestly even though it is a smaller sale. If you know you will not re-seal a timber door every second year, a powder-coated steel door with a woodgrain finish gives you most of the look, none of the maintenance and a fraction of the price.
Where we work
Garage door technicians across Gauteng
We run vehicles out of Johannesburg, Pretoria and the East Rand, which means most of Gauteng is a short drive rather than a full day's travel. Pick your area for local turnaround times and pricing.
Book a technician
Buy a wooden door with your eyes open.
We will tell you what it costs, what it weighs, what motor it needs and exactly what you will have to do to it every second year.
Meranti and hardwood · Custom profiles · Springs weighed to the door
Keep reading
Related services
Contact
Speak to a garage door technician, not a call centre
- Phone
- 0860 017 435Answered by a person. Mon–Fri 07:00–18:00, Sat 08:00–14:00.
- Send us a messageA photo of the door or the motor usually tells us what has failed.
- info@clearpathgaragedoors.co.zaPlans, specifications and estate quotes welcome.
- Service area & hours
- Johannesburg, Pretoria, Centurion, the East Rand, the West Rand and the VaalMon–Fri 07:00–18:00 · Sat 08:00–14:00 · Emergency callouts 7 days a week