If you are looking for information or help, our Frequently Asked Questions are all the common question you may wish to ask when purchasing a new door or maintaining your existing door. If you cant find the answer you are looking for please contact your local garage door specialist or contact Cardale direct.
Door Finishes
What is GRP?

Glass Reinforced Polyester (also known as fibreglass or glassfibre) is a term used for a two component ‘plastic’ type material that is stiffened and reinforced by bonding polyester resin to a multi-stranded fibrous glass ‘mat’. The whole product cures chemically into an inert ‘mass’ that will not warp, shrink or rust and is remarkably stable. GRP has no joins, seams, rivets or welds visible on the face of the door and its gel-coat face is capable of picking up a completely faithful woodgrain pattern from the moulding process that will even leave the timber experts fooled

Can I paint my Weatherwhite steel door?

Unfortunately it is a very difficult task to make a satisfactory job of painting a plastisol door and we do not recommend it.

Can I use an exterior grade (Yacht type) varnish to finish my Cardale timber garage door?

We do not recommend the use of varnish as it does not allow the timber to breathe and can store up problems. There are some excellent micro-porous stains available from your local paint supplier which will give long lasting protection to your door – if applied according to the manufacturers instructions. Always remember to coat the inside as well as the outside of the door with the same materials - if you don’t, the door has a high probability of twisting, warping or cracking and will not be covered by the manufacturers warranty.

How often do I need to treat my Cardale Timber garage doors?

That depends on the finish already applied. Timber is a natural product and will respond differently to different environments and different surface finishes. A good quality micro-porous finish properly and adequately applied should last for approximately 2 to 3 years. The only way to be certain is to keep a close eye on the finish and if any failure of the surface covering is spotted anywhere on the door, it’s time to treat it again.
 

Can I paint my white GRP door another colour?

White gloss GRP doors can be overpainted in a different colour if required. There are proprietary primers, undercoats and finish coats available from specialist paint manufacturers for use on GRP. The easiest source of supply and advice is from yacht chandlers (see Yellow Pages). Unfortunately, as we have no control over the effectiveness of the preparation and painting, no warranty will be available on any door so treated.

Which top coat brush stain should I use on my Timber door?

Light Oak top coat brush stain: Sikkens BL31 006 

Burnt Oak top coat brush stain: Sikkens BL31 020

Mahogany top coat brush stain: Sikkens BL31 045

Walnut top coat brush stain: SIkkens BL31 010

Dark Oak top coat brush stain: Sikkens BL31 009

Teak top coat brush stain: Sikkens BL31 085