Should you repair or replace your garage door?

Garage doors are often one of the most neglected features of the home. They have a single function: to open and close when you need them to. But how often are homeowners really checking up on their garage doors and making repairs when necessary? As long as it does what it’s designed to do, then why bother? The reality is, knowing when to repair or when to replace a malfunctioning garage door is important.

As with every piece of equipment you own, regular maintenance is crucial. Over time, small issues can compound into a major one until one day you might need to replace your garage door altogether. You might not even recognize something is wrong with it until it stops working, leaving you in a major bind and even becoming a major safety hazard. Let’s take a look at several scenarios to help you decide whether you should either get a repair or replace your garage door altogether. 

Reasons to repair your garage door

Your first reaction after your garage door breaks down would be to call a  technician for service and maintenance. Let's analyze why it would be more profitable for you to invest in a garage door repair.

Your Door Has Only Minor Damages

Light impacts with vehicles while entering your garage could damage your door panels. Most garage doors are made from several panel layers that are pressed together to create an even surface. Leaving that small crack on the garage door surface unattended, you risk causing more extended damages.

Minor superficial damages could also affect your lifting mechanism and create more serious events with your garage door. As a result, minor damages are worth getting fixed by a technician, giving a life extension to your current door.

Garage Door Is Off Balance

Most garage doors are well-balanced when leaving the factory. Placing them on steel tracks and connecting them to the lifting mechanism could be challenging for technicians. Your garage door might lose its balance when springs holding it from side to side become worn out. 

Calling garage door service to investigate the balance issues and replace the springs would be more affordable than replacing the entire door. Off-balance issues could present as trembling when your garage door moves on its tracks. Replacing the springs and having a thorough inspection can save you time and money.

You Experience A Unexpected Failure

Unexpected failures are sudden issues with your garage door lifting mechanism. They usually occur when you need to go out and require you to handle its movement manually. It would be wise to check your remote controls first to see if they work properly. Most of the time, a dead battery could create connectivity issues with your lifting mechanism remote signal receiver. 

You still have access to a manual moving mechanism through a special key your garage door installer has given you. If the problem persists even after you have replaced your remote control batteries, then it's an issue your garage door technician should look into and diagnose. Unexpected failures, though, need a simple component replacement in the lifting mechanism. It's safer to repair your door than thinking of replacement in such types of malfunction.

Moving Your Garage Door Is Harder Than Before

When you have already been using your garage door for several years, the lifting mechanism starts working less smoothly. The ball bearings and springs on the steel tracks can wear off unexpectedly. That causes your garage door to feel heavier when getting lifted from its closed position. Since your lifting mechanism motor works properly (most of them have a 5-year warranty), the springs and ball bearings could get replaced by your technician. 

A rougher garage door movement is an easy-to-fix problem and would rarely result in a replacement. Just avoid performing the maintenance by yourself, since removing springs could cause severe injuries to persons not trained to do such tasks.

Top Reasons to Replace Your Garage Door

Replacing your garage door might be another viable option. Here are the main reasons that could make you think about replacement as a radical solution for your current garage door issues.

Improve Home Appearance

Many homeowners decide to change their garage door to have a higher appraisal for their property. A new garage door would match a lot better to your house, especially when its replacement is combined with a total home renovation. Your older garage door could have functional problems, and its appearance may not fit the style anymore. 

Reduce Electricity Costs

New garage doors have more energy-preserving lifting mechanisms than those in the past. Their higher insulation profile beneath the panels can also save you money on the air conditioning or heating of your garage. Many people use their garage as a workspace and having a new garage door preventing the heat or cool air from escaping would help you maintain a positive balance.

Protect Your Garage Storage Space

Homeowners tend to store valuable items in their garage space. Older garage doors could have cracks and holes, making them easy targets for thieves. By placing a new garage door, you enjoy a higher security profile and insulate your place a lot better. That helps you prevent any weather-related wear-off for your valuables stored in the garage space.

Lower Your Home Insurance Premium

You should always announce a new garage door installation to your insurance agent. Most home insurance plans offer you lower premiums when a new and improved-security garage door gets in place. The monthly savings from your insurance plan could go directly to the garage door payments. In this way, you will have a new door that could pay for itself without aggravating your budget.

Prevent Injuries to Kids and Pets

New garage door lifting mechanisms have an optimal sensor scanning the space when the door moves. That offers you peace of mind about your kids and pets who may accidentally find themselves inside your garage door closing trajectory. Installing a new garage door can prevent serious injuries and preserve your lifting mechanism from getting compromised in such incidents. 

Either you decide to repair your present garage door or install a new one in its place, our technicians are there for you to help. Find us online at  https://www.chicagogaragedoor.com/.

Chicago Garage Door

501 West Golf Rd

Arlington Heights, IL 60005

(888) 501-0533

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