Your Old Garage Door: Repair or Replace?

Published on 31 March 2017

Diamond Garage Door engineers have a wealth of experience when it comes to old garage doors, and will often complete repairs at a fraction of the cost of a full replacement. This is good for the environment and good for your bank balance. However,even the hardiest garage door has a finite lifespan, and sometimes the daily use and abuse it gets takes its toll. Old garage doors can sometimes pose safety and security risks, too. But how do you work out if you should attempt to have a door repaired, or if a replacement is in order? Here are a few tips to understanding garage door repair vs. replacement.

Aesthetics

Generally, a full replacement is not required for cosmetic damage. A fresh coat of paint or a liquid scratch remover is enough to repair sun damage and light blemishes. If your garage door is clearly very old and tired, you can consider a brand new garage door as a great home improvement that will also bring modern safety features to your garage and improve the kerb appeal of your property.

You may want to consider replacing your old garage door if:

• You want to improve the appearance of your home
• You are selling your home and want to improve its kerb appeal
• Your garage door is outdated and lacks basic features, for example: it is thermally inefficient; you can trap fingers between slats; or it does not safely reverse on contact with objects.

Structural Damage

One or more structural problems can mean that a garage door replacement is a preferred option to repair. If a missing panel can be replaced, it is cost effective to do so and will keep the door structurally sound. However, the problem might indicate a more widespread issue, such as insect damage, water damage, or rot. If this is the case, then replacement is the best course of action. Inspect the entire door to look for:

• Corrosion or rust on metal doors
• Broken glass
• Deformed framework
• Dents that cause the door to fit improperly
• Loose or missing hinges and metalwork
• Loose or missing panels
• Rotten wood

Electronic and Mechanical Issues

Replacing or repairing because of electronic and mechanical issues will depend to what extent these problems are affecting a door’s safety and operation. The warning signs to look out for are noisy operation, excessive vibrations and malfunctioning LEDs. With all of these problems it is best to call a reputable garage door engineer who will be happy to inspect the door, identify issues and suggest the best course of action.

Noisy operation may be caused by:

• Dry contact areas where hinges and rollers are no longer lubricated
• Side-to-side tension of the door being out of balance
• Shaft bearings in the opener being worn

Excessive vibration may be caused by:

• Broken or maladjusted cables
• Loose hinges or other working parts causing misalignment
• Rollers have popped out of their tracks
• Rusted rollers are not turning smoothly
• Broken or maladjusted springs

Broken LEDs/sensors indicate:

• Broken eye sensors are critical to garage door safety and are a must with all modern garage doors; they stop the garage door from descending on people and objects, so you can avoid harm and costly damage

For broken sensors, test their functioning by blocking the sensor with an object, then use the remote to begin the garage door descent. If the sensors do not halt the garage door and it descends, then you need to have your sensors checked and replaced as a matter of urgency. Clean them before this test, as the sensors require an uninterrupted beam of light to operate.

To guarantee your garage door is working effectively and efficiently, have a professional garage door engineer asses it to determine its working order and advise on repairs or replacement. They will be happy to help.

Diamond Garage Doors are experts in supply, installation and repair of all kinds of garage doors and operate in the Bedford, Luton and Milton Keynes areas. We work with a range of quality garage door manufacturers to offer customers a comprehensive set of options to find the ideal garage door to complement their property. A careful and efficient team of engineers can also carry out repairs and servicing on your garage door to keep it in top working order. Whatever services your require, contact us today to find out more.

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