Garages are frequently thoroughfares to the house for cars, bikes, people and pets. It's no surprise that panels can get damaged over time with frequent use.
Small Knocks And Bumps
Say your kids kicked a ball into the door, or you scratched it while parking, this would be fairly simple to sort. The precise repair technique may depend on the precise composition of the door. Small dents to wooden doors can usually be fixed using filler while larger areas may be more complex and require professional attention. Aluminum doors are the easiest to repair – just heat a piece of tinfoil over the dent. The change in temperature will help restore the material to its original flat surface. Steel doors usually require the dent to be sanded down and auto-body filling compound to be applied, and then painted over. With each technique it's important to thoroughly clean the door with soapy water and let it dry before attempting the repair.
Damaged Garage Door Panel
If the dent is more serious and a large portion of a panel is damaged, it's advisable to call a qualified garage door technician for a professional inspection. They'll be able to advise if a replacement is a possibility or if the entire door needs to be removed. In many cases, one or two panels can be easily replaced. It's also often possible to locate the particular manufacturer and source a perfect match in color and style. With older doors, , the color might have faded slightly and the new panel could be marginally different, so repainting the entire door after a replacement may be a good solution, while still more cost-efficient than a full door replacement.
Last Resort – Replacing The Door
If more than two panels have been damaged, our technicians will be able tell you if a panel replacement is an option. Sometimes the cost of replacing 3 panels might be higher than installing a new door. If the door was damaged by a car backing into the door, the force of the clash might have impacted the entire mechanism of the opener such as the tracks or the springs. Our experts at Garage Door Repair Winter Garden will be able to inspect the door for you and provide appropriate options.