Garage Door Repair or Replace?

If you have a garage door, eventually someone, at some time, for some ridiculous reason is probably going to back into it. It is, as many accidents are, unavoidable. And when this happens the inevitable question becomes – should you look into garage door panel replacement or will you have to replace the entire door?

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Before anything else, consider safety

Any time your garage door is compromised in any way the very first thing to do is to get a safety check from a qualified professional. Even if your garage door seems to be operating properly, it’s still a good idea to get it checked out just in case. There could be something wrong that will end up causing serious harm or even death… no kidding! The tension on cables and springs that allow an automatic garage door to operate is excessive. Should something snap, someone standing by will likely be in a whole world of hurt! For this reason alone, not even considering the electrical and mechanics, all garage door repair and maintenance should be done by certified, trained, professional individuals.

Now that the damage is done, take a good look at your door and its panels. Check to see how the panels are held in place because a dented panel can just be a matter of cosmetics or it can interfere with the operation of the door itself. The materials involved are a matter for some concern. Though metal, much of today’s supports and such are made from a lighter type of metal. Is it strong? Of course it is. But hit with enough pressure it can bend ever so slightly, making for unsafe operation.

Replace the Whole Garage Door, or Repair and Replace the Damaged Panels?

Depending on how the panels are mounted this can be a simple or complicated procedure. Before beginning you’ll need the following:

• You’ll want to know if you’re dealing with an insulated panel and is that insulation protected by steel or vinyl.

• Measure to see how high the section of your garage door is.

• Also, of course, the width.

• Match your color.

• Try to locate the model number if you still can.

• And you’ll want to know the name brand if possible.

So, you can try it yourself and just plan on something going wrong or you can have someone who knows what they’re doing, check for additional damage, fix what needs fixing and you can relax.