Garage doors go through a lot. Our lives are fast-paced, so fast that the average garage door opens and closes almost 2,000 a year. Inevitably, this much use leads to things like cracked panels, paint scratches, and basic wear and tear. If your garage door is damaged, you may be able to do repairs quickly with no further work. So how do you know it’s time to get a new one? Let’s go over some basics.
Standard Garage Door Repairs
Garage doors need to be repaired and maintained regularly. In most cases, for basic repairs, you can manage it with professional help but probably wouldn’t want to do it yourself. In particular, tension springs should be handled by a professional. Due to the weight involved, it’s safer to have these checked by a pro than trying to manage yourself:
- Damaged or broken tension spring
- Damaged or noisy hinges, cables, or chains
- Bent or damaged roller track
- Garage door opening unit is not working correctly
- Weatherstrips are damaged or missing
If any of those sounds like what you’re dealing with or if you just need simple period maintenance, you’ll be just fine if you get repairs done for your garage door. However, there are some cases where replacement is the more appropriate choice. This is especially true if you’ve been servicing your garage door frequently but still continue to have problems. Some other situations that might arise which warrant a replacement are outlined below:
Heavy Damage
Garage doors can be damaged by inclement weather, physical impacts, rust, and an entire catalog of other causes. If the damage is severe enough that repair is impossible, replacement is the only other option.
Dissatisfied with Your Door
Curbside appeal is important to most homeowners. If your garage door, working or not, damaged or not, isn’t living up to your expectations, then it’s certainly time to replace it. You can install a new garage door in a variety of styles and functions.
The Door is Old
As any machine or man-made thing gets old, its parts break down, and eventually, they won’t be able to be repaired anymore – At least not in a way that is cost-effective. If your garage door is ten or more years old, you should consider replacing it with a new door, and the opening system will save on maintenance costs.
Lacking Safety Features
A garage door without motion detection can be dangerous. If you have children or pets, having a door that reverses when it detects an obstruction under the door is important. If your garage door can’t be upgraded to include these safety features and you have loved ones that might be at risk, replacing your door is well worth it.
Whatever the case, whether your needs are simple repairs or you’d like to get started on the process of installing a new garage door and replacing the one you have now, the professionals at Straight Up Garage Doors are here to help.
