A garage door should operate smoothly. It should give you peace of mind knowing that when you come home from work and push the remote button, your door will open without any issues. When you leave in the morning or go out on the weekends, the door should close securely, protecting your belongings inside. However, your garage might not always work as it should.
Anything can go wrong with your garage door at any time. It could get stuck open, causing a serious security threat. On the other hand, it might not open at all, forcing you to leave your car or storage items outside, leaving them vulnerable to thieves, vandals or the elements. A damaged garage door that becomes stuck halfway is also a security issue, making it difficult to get anything in or out of the garage.
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If you accidentally backed into your door when trying to leave the garage or otherwise damaged your garage door panels, stay calm. Many people have done this. Some people have accidentally hit the accelerator instead of the brake. Others have crashed into their door during the winter after their car slid on ice.
When you discover a damaged part of the garage door, you must address the issue as soon as possible. Garage door damage hurts your home’s curb appeal and can also cause a potential safety risk that leaves your door susceptible to further damage.
Jump to Section:
- Common Causes of Garage Door Damage
- Repairing vs. Replacing a Damaged Garage Door
- Do You Need to Call Insurance
- Garage Door Repair Costs
Common Causes of Garage Door Damage
You may experience issues with your garage door for many reasons. Typically, garage door problems are linked to a few simple causes — a technical issue, an obstruction, wear and tear or simply old equipment. The most common causes of damaged garage doors include:
- Spring breakage: There’s no way around it — springs break. They can break due to the amount of usage — the more you use your garage door, the sooner they can break. Also, older springs are more vulnerable to breakage than newer ones.
- Cable breakage: The term “wire rope” refers to the garage door’s lifting cables. While categorized as “aircraft quality,” they can and will become brittle over time and start to fray. Once they begin to fray, they start to unwind and may snap.
- The photo eye: This is a tiny sensor located on both sides of your garage door, usually a few inches from the ground. It projects an invisible beam across your garage door, ensuring it doesn’t close on top of a person or object. The photo eye is one of your garage door’s most essential safety features, but it can become misaligned if an object knocks it or the light beams become disconnected. Bad weather or water damage may also disrupt the circuit.
- Electrical issues: Your garage door requires electricity to open. However, in some cases, the fuse can blow, or the wires may become frayed. Flooding or water damage may also cause hazardous electrical issues that should be fixed by a professional who understands the electrical components of the garage door.
- Wear and tear: As with appliances, the mechanisms responsible for opening and closing your garage door can become subject to wear and tear. For example, rollers can wear out. Consider investing in premium rollers to ensure your door operates smoothly for a longer period to prevent your garage door from being damaged further.
- Obstacles: Many people use their garages as storage units. If your garage is full of furniture, tools or gardening materials, an item could be knocked over and accidentally block the photo eye sensors. This could result in a door that has trouble opening or closing. Even large amounts of dust can be an obstacle.
- Getting off track: Garage doors slide along a metal track which helps them open and close quietly. If you’re having problems opening your garage door, it could be due to an alignment problem.
These are only a few causes of garage door damage that may affect your home. Having a garage door professional inspect the door as soon as you notice something wrong can help preserve the material, keep it functioning for longer and ensure the garage stays in good condition for years to come.
Repairing vs. Replacing a Damaged Garage Door
Garage door damage repair is often the only solution you need when you have a problem affecting its function. Just because you have some springs broken doesn’t mean you need to replace the entire garage door — you just need to replace the springs. This is true of other components, such as the sensors, tracks, hinges, rollers and openers.
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You might need a total replacement only when you have massive functional or cosmetic damage. For instance, if you forgot to open the door and backed your car into it. Garage door professionals can repair scratches, dings, dents and other slight cosmetic damage.
In many cases, you will not have to replace your whole door and can instead replace individual panels. Remember that, even if you believe you know how to fix a door, you should not attempt to make repairs yourself. If you have concerns, call an expert.
Some common repair options include:
1. Getting Your Garage Door Inspected
Identifying and addressing wear early is an integral part of the overall care for your door. Besides keeping your garage door clean and lubricating it regularly, adhering to a residential preventative maintenance program can help you keep your garage door running efficiently. It would be best to have a garage door expert inspect your door at least biannually. During the inspection, the specialist may find minor damage or wear such as:
- Slight surface damage: Slight damage may include small fractures or cracks in the panels or chipped paint.
- Minor damage and discoloration: The paint or surface material may have faded over time, and there may be smaller damages like a significant crack or rusted mechanisms.
- The opportunity to touch up the paint: Chipped paint may indicate that the garage door needs inspection.
- The need to repaint the entire door: Older garage doors often need an entire refinishing, including new paint and replaced panels.
- The need to replace a window: Garage doors with windows may experience broken glass or cracks from debris, theft or harsh weather.
- The need to restain the door: Doors that were previously stained may fade over time and need a fresh coat.
Addressing these issues early can help preserve the aesthetics of your garage door. Your garage door can enhance curb appeal, complement the rest of the architecture of your home and completely transform your home’s exterior. When wear and tear show on your door, it can take away your home’s beauty.
Warping and cracking are sure signs you may wish to replace the door. The door’s age should be part of your overall decision on whether to repair or replace it. If your door is over 15 years old, it’s probably a good idea to replace it.
2. Having the Garage Door Placed Back on Its Tracks
Hitting the door with a particular force or at a specific angle can cause the door to come off its tracks. When this happens, you’ll no longer be able to open and close the door, and you definitely shouldn’t repair it yourself. It’s best to stay away from it entirely and call a garage door professional to come and place it properly on its tracks.
3. Fixing a Stuck Garage Door
A few reasons why your garage door would become stuck in one position include:
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- Sensor obstruction: Make sure there’s nothing in the sensor’s path.
- Wheel track obstruction: Try to close the door manually to check for obstructions on the tracks. If that’s not the issue, inspect the tracks for possible damage like bends or dents. Check to see if the door is hanging unevenly. If you notice damage or the door is hanging unevenly, call a professional.
- Garage door opener: If you don’t see anything obstructing the sensors, the problem could be with the garage opener. Press the button on your opener to see if a light comes on. If it doesn’t, and it’s supposed to illuminate, you may just need to replace the battery.
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A garage door that’s partially opened can pose security concerns and provide strangers access into your home. Try to close the door manually, but without force. Trying to force the door shut can damage the motor, opener, belt and chain. Your best option is to contact a professional who offers emergency garage door repair services.
In some cases, there could be nothing wrong with your garage door, but the lock instead. People have accidentally locked themselves out without realizing it. If you try to open your door and hear the motor running, see if the locking mechanism or bar is in place. By removing the lock, the door should become free and move. Keypads could also be the issue. Many come with a vacation mode or lock mode that disables the garage door. Ensure the keypad didn’t lock your door.
4. Repairing a Damaged Garage Door Section
Whether the bottom or middle section of the door is damaged, a professional can replace it promptly. No matter what the cause is, typically, you will only need to replace the damaged section and not the entire door. Remember, if you need to replace two or more damaged sections, the cost can almost be the same as having to replace an entire door.
Also, depending on how old your door is, it’s possible that by replacing only one or two damaged sections with the door’s original color, you could end up with a color difference, particularly in the door sheen. You can wax the undamaged sections using car wax to lessen this effect, giving each part of your door an equal shine.
5. Tending to a Garage Door That Makes a Loud Sound
If your door makes screeching, squealing or grinding noises when opening or closing it, it could indicate an accumulation of debris or dirt in the tracks or a lack of lubricant. Don’t use harsh chemicals when removing dirt to clean the tracks. Once you clean the track, coat it with lubricant made particularly for garage doors. You can use WD-40 on the hardware and tracks if you don’t have access to garage door lubricant.
If you’ve tried these steps and you continue hearing the loud noise when using your garage door, it’s time to call in a professional to see if your tracks need repair.
6. Addressing a Quickly Falling Garage Door
If your door is falling more quickly than it used to, or if it bounces around when using it, it could be due to broken cables or chains. This is a relatively inexpensive repair that should be done by a professional. However, the installation could take some time.
So, when should you repair your garage door or replace it? There are specific considerations to making this decision, such as:
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- The cost to repair the door compared to replacing it.
- Whether an expert can fix the problem.
- How long it will take to repair your door.
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Remember, if you belong to a homeowner’s association (HOA), they might require you to gain approval from the organization if you want to replace your door because it may affect your home’s aesthetic greatly. HOAs often have strict rules regarding large cosmetic changes since they could affect the property value.
Do I Need to Call My Insurance for a Damaged Garage Door?
If you have a severely damaged garage door, it might be necessary for you to call your homeowner’s insurance company.
If you have damage to your car from hitting the garage door, you would need to contact your auto insurance company for this. But, the auto insurance company won’t cover garage door damage — that’s through your homeowner’s policy.
Be sure to check your insurance deductibles before giving them a call. It might not make sense to call them and make a claim if you’re going to end up paying too much out of pocket. In these cases, it may be wiser just to take care of the expenses yourself.
Garage Door Repair Costs
Garage door damage repair costs usually range in price depending on the types of repair you need. When it’s time to replace your garage door altogether, the costs will widely vary depending on factors such as the garage door size, the features and more. Repair and replacement costs will also vary by material type and the kind of panels.
If your door is an older door where you can no longer find replacement sections, it could cost more to repair it than replace the door. The repair cost will depend on how bad the damage is.
Labor will usually be your highest cost. Broken doors that need to be completely taken apart and reinstalled will cost you in labor.
Contact Marvin’s Garage Doors for Damaged Garage Door Repairs
If there is a problem with your garage door, you’ll want to have a professional come out and take a look. Don’t try to make repairs yourself if you suspect your garage door is broken as this could put you or your family in harm.
Contact Us for Garage Door Repairs Today
Since 1970, Marvin’s Garage Doors has been serving Northwestern North Carolina clients while remaining a family-owned and operated business. Our company performs garage door repairs quickly and efficiently, ensuring that our team of highly-qualified professionals is available to meet your needs.
We offer service to all garage makes and models with a variety of repairs, from panel replacement to spring repairs. Marvin’s Garage Doors is located in Boone, East Bend, Wilkesboro and Winston Salem, where you’ll find assistance with replacement parts like torsion and extension springs and 24/7 emergency service.
Contact us online to schedule your garage door repair appointment, or call our emergency line at 336-813-2601.