Your garage door takes significant real estate on your home’s curb appeal. And yet, it’s also one of the most neglected exterior features. Most homeowners don’t think about their garage doors until they stop working properly.
Even the highest quality garage door suffers from daily wear and tear causing minor issues or breaking suddenly which can be frustrating or worse, dangerous. In general, if your garage door isn’t properly working, you have two choices: one, opt for a garage door repair or replace it with a new garage door unit.
The best option will depend on several factors. This post elaborates on specific factors and signs to help you determine what you should do. Keep on reading to learn more.
When to Repair Garage Door? 4 Fixable Issues
Garage doors are expensive. And as with any hefty investment in your home, when your garage door starts acting strange, your first idea is to diagnose it and try to repair it. But what problems are repairable? Carry on reading to learn more.
- Slight Dents and Damages
Dings and dents in garage doors are very common and they can be easily repaired. While it’s easy to repair small dents and damages, you should do this quickly to keep the task as cheap as possible.
If you ignore those dents for a while, they can spread to other panels and make them more difficult to fix.
If you do let the situation get worse where you need to repair multiple panels, it can be as expensive as replacing them altogether. So, make sure to repair even the smallest dings you can find as soon as possible.
- The Door Stops Working
When your garage door suddenly stops working, you may think that you need to replace it right away. However, sudden breakdowns are quite common and easy to diagnose and resolve.
Some people may have simply forgotten to replace the batteries on the garage door remote. If the battery isn’t the issue, then there may be an isolated issue and more of a component or panel replacement instead of an entire door replacement.
- Sagging or Leaning Doors
When your garage door sags or leans to one side, it’s often a sign of an imbalance. If not resolved immediately, it increases wear and tears on your garage door and its lifting mechanism.
In general, if one side is sagging, the spring or mechanism on that side has a starter to wear. Fortunately, this is an easy fix. You only need to replace the springs on the affected side and rehang the garage door to restore balance.
You can even replace both mechanisms on each side to ensure an even wear.
- Slow-Moving or Lifting Struggles
Garage doors are heavy. But if you notice your door lifting much slower than usual, it’s a sign that the lift motor is starting to degrade.
The regular closing and raising of the panels can put a lot of stress on the lifting motor and springs, causing sluggish lifting. Nonetheless, simply replacing these components should keep your door working as well as new.
Garage Door Replacement: 3 Signs You Need a New One
There comes a point where repairing your garage door is no longer an option. And you’ll have to completely replace it altogether. How do you know when it’s time to scrap your garage door and get a new one? Here are tell-tale signs to watch out for:
- It Has Extensive Damage
Whether you’ve let minor dents and dings become worse or your garage door suffered from extensive damage due to an accident or inclement weather, severe damage on several panels calls for a replacement.
While you can try repairing the damages, doing so may be more expensive than simply replacing it altogether.
- It’s Old
Well-maintained garage doors can last up to three decades. However, even with regular upkeep and prompt repairs and fixes, when your garage door reaches its designated lifespan or even if it hasn’t hit that age but is already prone to malfunctions and issues due to old garage door parts, then it’s best to upgrade to a new and modern garage door. This will help improve overall home security as well as boost curb appeal.
- Poor Energy Efficiency
Your garage door is probably the biggest opening in your home. Even if you have an old or damaged garage door that may still be functioning, if it’s allowing the outside door in and letting indoor air escape, you should consider replacing it.
Even with good insulation, the difference in temperature between your garage and home will affect your utility bill. Installing a new garage door may be expensive but it can be cost-effective in the long run by providing better energy efficiency and better security.
Takeaway
As you can see, the choice between garage door repair and replacement will depend on the issue you have. That said, regardless of what you choose, you should leave it to the professionals.
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