Your existing garage door plays a vital role in ensuring the safety of your house and automobiles. However, after several years of lifting and closing a few times a day, the door is likely to start showing some signs of wear and tear and stop working as usual. Some of the issues you might notice include failure open or close, slow response time, making funny noises and sagging. So, how do you know if you should have the technician repair or replace the garage door altogether? Here are some factors to look at;
Cost of repair vs. replacement
If the cost of repairing the door is more or close to the cost of replacing, it is best just to have a new door installed. Sometimes, the technician may realize that many parts need to be repaired or replaced such a springs, opener, motor and compressor making the cost go up significantly. One should only do garage door repairs if just one or two parts need to be repaired.
Age of the door
How long have you had that garage door? With time, the efficiency and ease of use will decline significantly because of wear and tear and also age. Technology has also made it possible to have better, more efficient garage doors and people need to keep up with the times. If your garage door is too old such that you can no longer find replacement parts or a technician who knows how to repair it, it might be time to get a new door.
Extent of the Damage
If your garage door has visible damage such as wide cracks and holes, it will be useless to repair it. The principle use of a door is security, so if the door has holes that humans or animals can use to get inside the house, it is no longer safe. Huge dents or pressure caused by a vehicle can also make the door malfunction, so it's best to replace it.
Energy use
If your garage door is not closing correctly even after repairs, heat will escape from the house at night, and cold air will come in causing you to use more energy. If your power bill is rising due to a faulty garage door, it is time to replace it.
In many cases, simple garage roller door repairs will solve any issue, and that should be your first step. However, if the door is too old, too damaged or the repairs are not cost-effective, replacement should be considered as a final resort.
Be honest, when was the last time that you thought about your garage door? If you are anything like I used to be, you will never really think about your garage door. You will instead just drive up to it and expect it to open and close on command. It is only when this does not happen that you might start to think about the fact that your garage door exists at all. When my garage door stopped working, I didn't know what to do. I called in a contractor who repaired it for me and explained what I needed to do to keep it in good working order. This blog contains everything I have learnt.