Garage doors are designed and built to provide homeowners with long-lasting service. However, these features are not everlasting or infallible, so they are susceptible to damage during their lifespan. Also, garage doors are often overlooked during home improvement projects. There are not maintained as carefully as other structures in the residential environment. Therefore, they can deteriorate over time, causing you to experience problems. If you are struggling with garage door issues in your home, here are some considerations to help you decide whether to replace the feature or not.
Structural Damage of the Door
If your garage door has some structural damage, you should think about replacing the entire structure. In general, this entryway can sustain severe injury due to mechanical impact from vehicles or dangerous storms. The destruction of the door panels is difficult and expensive to repair. Moreover, the damage cannot be ignored because it will affect the function of the door and even allow the harsh elements to damage the interior space. Inspect the door and look for deep dents and tearing of the panels. Also, examine the general operation of the garage feature for anomalies before making your decision.
Constant Need for Maintenance and Repair
Old garage doors tend to deteriorate over time, even without experiencing mechanical impact or other accidents. If this is the case with your feature, you should consider replacement. When your door becomes degraded, it will require constant maintenance and repair. The panels will need regular sealing to prevent continued metal corrosion or wood rotting. Moreover, the garage openers will be affected by the deterioration, necessitating frequent professional repairs. The long-term costs of keeping such a door would be high. By replacing, you can reduce your expenses.
Inefficiency and Poor Security
You should evaluate the energy efficiency of your garage door. If you have an old product, it most likely does not have any thermal insulation capabilities. It could be contributing to the high energy demands of your HVAC system through continued heat loss and gain. You should think about solving the inefficiencies of the opening by choosing modern doors which are built to prevent heat exchange. Also, you should evaluate the security level provided by your garage door. If thieves can break in with ease and there are no speciality safety measures incorporated to resist the infiltration, you should set up a higher security door.
Garage door replacement can be an expensive project. Therefore, if you are not sure about taking this step, consult an experienced garage door service person for inspection.