When Is It Time to Replace Your Home's Garage Door?

Your home's garage door may be one of the last things you think about when it comes to home repair and improvement, but that door is very important. An old door that doesn't close securely can be pried open by thieves and intruders, and causes wear and tear on the opener and all other parts of the door.

That older door may also allow cold air to make its way into your home or allow humidity to settle on lawn care equipment inside the garage, causing early rust to form. Note a few signs that indicate it may be time to replace that old garage door so you know when to shop and what to look for in a new door.

It's warped beyond reshaping

If a metal door gets dented so that it doesn't sit properly in the tracks along the door frame, it can sometimes be bumped out and reshaped, the way you bump out a dented car panel. A wood door that is warped from absorbing moisture and drying out might also be sanded down so that it stays level and moves smoothly along the tracks.

However, some damage to a metal door is too difficult to fix, and some wood doors are too warped or too weakened due to age to be sanded or otherwise reshaped. Rather than struggling to open the door or allowing the weight to pull unevenly against the tracks, consider just replacing the door altogether.

The opener, chains or springs keep breaking

While the home's garage door itself may be in good repair, note that many automatic garage door openers, as well as the chains and springs that lift and lower the door, may be designed for lightweight doors. Because vinyl, fibreglass, and other such materials are light but still very strong, they're often a favourite choice for garage doors, versus outdated, overweight steel garage doors. If your heavy metal door keeps pulling the springs or chains out of place or the opener keeps burning up and needs repair, it may be good to simply replace the door so you protect these other parts.

It's just ugly

Your home's garage door can enhance the property's overall kerb appeal or detract from it. If the door is very old and you cannot repaint it or make other simple repairs to improve its looks, consider replacing it altogether. Today's garage doors are inexpensive and durable, and come in a wide variety of styles, colours and designs that can make the outside of your home very attractive.