During this age of technology, the need for a private vehicle increases. However, future vehicle owners should take responsibility for finding an adequate parking space on their property’s outdoor area, or by building a garage.
A garage room is an essential area of your home, which allows you to keep your car safe and in stellar condition. Aside from that, you can hold plenty of your home and car equipment inside the garage with an organized system.
On top of that, the garage door holds vital roles in keeping your lifestyle functional and comfortable. Without a high-quality garage door attached to your garage, everything can get messed up.
What is a Garage Door and Why Should I Consider Having a Good One?
Basically, garage doors allow entry and exit of your vehicle into your home. Instead of allotting a parking area on your outdoor space, the garage is a better option as it protects your vehicles and other belongings from external conditions and burglary.
The garage door ensures that it only operates upon the owner’s programmed settings. Thanks to the innovative garage door opener, you can quickly get in and out of the garage with push of a button or sensors. These door openers from Discount Garage Door offer quiet but powerful garage door operations.
Moreover, a beautiful and well-built garage door is the only view people can see outside your home. It enhances your curb appeal that might become valuable in the future. Thus, ensuring it is not only reliable but also has excellent design- and is aesthetically appealing.
Despite the durability and aesthetically-appeal of your garage door, they are prone to wear and tear. Garage doors need regular repair and maintenance, however a time may come that you’ll need a replacement. But, how will you know if your garage door needs replacement vs. repairs only?
Before that, you need to have a little knowledge as a garage owner on identifying the garage door issues. Troubleshooting skills are beneficial before you assume that your garage door needs replacement.
With this in mind, here are top 11 indications that your garage door requires a replacement:
- Faulty Opening and Closing
The problem with garage doors always starts with the opening and closing system, which happens when components begin to misalign. One of the significant signs that your garage door is facing some problem is when it demonstrates weird, abnormal, and faulty operations. You may consider repairs, but not if the system itself is giving up, and your better option is to replace it.
To be more specific with these issues, note that your garage door should respond to activation in less than a second, and should open or close within 12 to 15 seconds. If your garage door didn’t satisfy these conditions, it could be due to the following faults:
- Broken door opener wires which refuse to open or close the garage door at all
- Faulty connection between the remote control settings and circuit, causing inconsistent response (sudden close during open, unexpected halts)
- Faulty wiring or track misalignment causes the garage door to move in a weird manner
If these problems continue for a long time, without assistance of a technician, it will obviously get worse and increase the chances of replacement. So, contact your automotive service provider as soon as the door starts acting up.
- Noisy Operation
The auditory sense is a telltale sign for detecting problems within your garage door, so always pay attention to the sounds when opening and closing the garage doors. As your car engine can be a bit loud and distracting, you need to listen to the garage door when you’re not in your car, but test it yourself.
As mentioned, noisy operations are a huge red flag usually associated with replacement. If your garage door creates increased noises compared to the past, it is considerable to get a new one. But why? Can’t you have it repaired only?
Operating noises are different from sounds that can tell you there’s something wrong. For instance, the revving engine noise is reasonable because those are the sounds of a normally operating garage door. On the contrary, squeaking, squealing, and grinding noises aren’t healthy and require immediate inspection.
Through a detailed inspection of your garage door, your repair technician can discover the fault associated with three components:
- Loose or unlubricated rollers
- Faulty spring
- Worn out bracket
If noises persist after fixing these components, sans any hesitation, have your garage door replaced as soon as possible.
- Sagging Door Components
Aside from that faulty and noisy components when the system gets off-track, you should worry about parts experiencing wear and tear eventually, leading to a sagging garage door. This situation is precisely relevant to wooden garage doors that are more prone to sagging.
Sagging in a wooden garage door happens when it decomposes, rots, and deteriorates. Typically, the problem can’t resolve through a new painting, polishing, or cleaning job, because it more likely has an underlying condition. To identify these root causes immediately, call your professional service provider.
Here are some of the leading causes of a sagging door, aside from eventual wear and tear:
- Old, wearing rollers put too much strain on the garage door.
- Exposure to sudden temperature spikes, causing it to warm, expand, and shrink.
- The garage door opener is not suitable for the door, which usually happens when homeowners do self-installation.
- Old-Fashioned and Outdated Design
Considering a replacement for your possessions don’t always need to be connected to their mechanisms and functions. Sometimes, you’ll need replacement because overall visual appearance doesn’t look enticing at all. Most homeowners usually realize this issue with old homes. Notably, these are homes erected during eras where certain architectural styles were prominent.
If you want to change things up, consider replacing your garage doors with an updated and modern visual design that will look more appealing. Also, you can particularly match the design of your garage in case your home features a different layout.
Replacing your garage doors to improve its visual aspect will not only benefit you now, but the results will be long-term, especially when you’ll put your property up for listing eventually. First, upgrading the design of your garage door enhances your overall property’s curb appeal. Second, this can attract prospective buyers in the future.
- Frequent Needs for Repair and Maintenance
It is entirely typical and necessary for home systems to receive regular maintenance and occasional repairs. Automotive manufacturers offer maintenance and repair services within a car purchase because it is wise to assume that cars will need them. The logic is the same with garage door repairs and maintenance; if it is getting abnormally often, it might be time to replace them.
Availing repair and maintenance services excessively will not solve any long-term issues because it only deals with your temporary garage door problems. Furthermore, it will just hurt your pocket. Instead of repeatedly repairing your garage door with costly expenses, you can save this money to afford a new installation.
- Served Its Purpose For Long Years
A garage door’s lifespan can vary from 20 to 30 years, depending on its build and quality. If your garage door is even older than your children and has stayed loyal to you for uncountable years, it is a definite yes to replacement. After all, having a new garage look can spice up your home in a new way.
Garage doors aren’t immune to damage since they act as protection for your vehicle and belongings. Changes in seasons, unwanted animal scratches, and natural deterioration are factors that will play into account. Doors made up of wood are even more sensitive to these damaging elements, no matter how much you repaint and repolish them.
If your current home came from generation to generation, and you have no idea for how long the garage door has been there without repairs, you can look at its physical appearance and have an estimated age. Indications such as rusting components and panel scratches can tell that you need a new installation.
Installing a new garage door because the previous one is too old and you’re grateful enough with its purpose, tells them that it is time to rest.
- Assigned to a New Purpose
Garage doors don’t remain as garage doors in every eventuality. Homeowners can experience a change of heart and have a new purpose to their garage room and panel. For instance, if you don’t have vehicles anymore, and decided on a new function, then it is the best time to upgrade it.
If you have smaller vehicles, such as bikes and motorcycles, replacing your garage door with a smaller one and making a solid wall is a good option. On the other hand, if you have repurposed your garage room into a gym, dirty kitchen, storage room, home office space, indoor planting room, and many more, opening garage doors should be changed into a stationary one.
- Home Remodeling Plans
Since garage rooms are an extended space of your home, there is a high possibility that it will require replacement during home remodeling and renovation. If you’re giving your home a change, why not include the garage room and doors too? In this way, it will complement well with your home’s new design, creating more unity with your property beneficial for its curb appeal.
However, this could be impractical for homeowners on a tight budget who doesn’t prioritize renovating the garage room. New garage door installations during home remodeling are fine if you have extra money to spare.
- Energy Inefficiency
Before purchasing a garage door, you should prioritize the energy efficiency features to keep your vehicle and family warm and comfortable. If your garage walls, ceilings, and most importantly, doors, don’t use energy-efficient features, expect a skyrocketing electricity bill.
Unless you invest in a door with higher energy efficiency, the colder months will keep bothering you. Incorporate insulation not just on your garage ceilings and walls but also on your garage door, because it accounts for one-third of your garage’s space.
Replacing your garage door with better energy efficiency qualities will benefit you in two ways: saving monthly electricity costs and feeling more comfortable as ever.
- Decreased Safety and Security
The key features of building a garage room and attaching a high-quality door are to keep your family and belongings safe and secure. In case you don’t feel the same way anymore, due to different faults and issues with the garage door, you should consider a garage door replacement. Ensure that you have a replacement at the earliest opportunity because it is a matter of personal safety and privacy.
Decreased safety and security are manifestations of the following:
- The garage door is not entirely closing.
- The automatic reverse mechanism is inconsistent.
- Sensors and automatic settings don’t work as usual.
- Broken handles, hinges, and wires that poses safety hazards.
- Severely cracked panels, an ideal entryway for unwanted animals such as rodents and snakes.
- Modern Garage Doors With Improved Features
Technological advancements paved the way for manufacturing new garage doors with improved and more innovative features. If you want to amplify the safety and convenience of having a garage door, then updating it into the latest releases will satisfy more of your lifestyle needs.
Although you want to preserve your antiquated garage door because of its sentimental value, it compromises more of your safety compared to technology-equipped ones.
Some of the technology features that you can enjoy with a modern garage door are listed below:
- Sensors and auto-retraction
- Smart locking mechanisms
- Device-controlled garage door opener
- Integrated battery back-ups
- Vacation locks
- Garage door remotes integrated with flashlights
- Rolling code technology
Apart from these tech features, the construction materials utilized in building garage doors are proven more reliable, durable, and cost-efficient, in terms of environment-friendly, as well as the constructing processes associated with these doors.
The Final Words
As with any other part of your home, the right time will come when you need to replace your old garage door because it will only put you into a safety and convenience compromise in the long run. From now on, save at least a portion of your money to a garage door replacement so you’ll be more than equipped when this time comes. If you experience any of these signs elaborated in this article, don’t hesitate to get a new one. Above all, a reliable and durable garage door protects you from a plethora of harmful things in the environment, as it is a matter of safety, privacy, comfort, and functionality.