Garage Door Gone Wild... I mean Wooden!

After we replaced our all glass front door with a more private, insulated door, my husband said, "All we need to do now is stain the garage door..." I was not expecting that! Our then neighbor at the time had already done hers and it did look nice, but I was nervous about how it would turn out!  You can see her picture here: http://raquelenglish.com/garage-doors-made-to-look-like-wood/

I reluctantly asked her how she did it and set about getting started.  First, I washed my door with a scrub brush to get the chalky residue off. I then used a 3" fine-bristled brush to apply Old Masters Gel Stain in Dark Walnut to the door one square at a time.  I painted horizontally to make it follow the wooden grain. I advise you to wait and paint when the sun is not full on the door and when it's not going to rain that day or the next.  Raquel suggested to rub off the excess after painting, but it was not dark enough so I left it as it was painted with the brush.  Here is the before and after picture: 

13 months later and it still looks amazing!