With proper maintenance and care following the manufacturer’s instructions, and routine inspections done once every six months, garage doors can typically last a few decades. Still, ensuring that it is in good working condition can improve the value of your home, and fixing wear and tear can ensure a safe environment for your family. To know when you should look to repair or replace garage doors in your home, read on.
Issues with Opening or Closing
If your garage door cannot open or close fully without manual assistance, it may be time to get it repaired or replaced. Common reasons for this issue are a faulty door opener system, or a misaligned photo eye. A misaligned photo eye activates the automatic reversal system of your garage door, and even minute blockages, like dust, can affect its performance. Hence, you might need to engage professional aid to examine if the photo eye is the cause of the garage door’s functionality issue. A faulty door opener or other parts affecting the closing mechanism also requires professional repair.
Damage from Wear and Tear
A typical garage door opens and closes thousands of times each year, so naturally, wear and tear may cause damage to it over time.
One reason for such damage is due to weather conditions such as rain, snow, wind, or UV rays being exposed to the garage door, which could result in rusting or discoloration. If your garage door is unusually noisy during usage, it could also be a sign of debris being stuck inside the rollers, affecting its functionality.
Obvious Damage
If you spot visible damage on your garage door, it could pose a safety hazard. Hence, it’s crucial to get your garage door replaced if you spot any of these things:
- Misalignment of garage track: if you notice the door of your garage is slanted, it could be because the track has become misaligned from the garage door rubbing against it. A faulty track affects the functionality of your garage door and should be replaced as soon as possible.
- Broken life cables and tension springs: If you have trouble opening your garage door, it could be because the tension spring is broken. This poses a safety risk as with continual use, the tension spring and lift could snap, causing the door to drop suddenly.
- Dents caused by frequent impact: This could lower the visual appeal of the door, as well as hinder the smoothness of the track movement.
Rising Energy Costs
The final reason to replace your garage doors is to optimize the energy used in your home. As older garage doors tend to have weaker insulating abilities overtime, you may notice your energy bill rising. In such cases, it’s better to reduce the strain on your HVAC system by getting your garage door replaced to a newer model with better insulation. One material that may be suggested by professionals is wood.
If your garage door shows any of the aforementioned signs of needing to be replaced, feel free to contact us.
