Your garage door is something you probably don’t give a second thought to. It performs its function: it keeps your vehicle and/or items safely and securely stored inside, safe from the elements, and out of sight. But just like anything else, over time, your garage door can fall victim to wear and tear, and it can even experience damage. Fixing it as soon as possible will ensure that your garage not only looks great, but keeps everything secure inside.
If your garage door panel has been damaged and needs repair, there are some basic steps you can take to remedy the problem. So, let’s take a close look.
The first thing to be aware of is that there is no need for a total garage door replacement. Once a panel gets damaged, homeowners far too often make the mistake of thinking the entire door needs to be replaced. This is much more costly and usually isn’t necessary. Now, if you’ve got the budget for it, the garage door is getting up there in age, and you did have plans of replacing it in the near future, then this could be the event you need to go ahead and push you to do it.
The next tip is to make sure you replace the garage door panel in a timely manner. If you leave the damaged panel intact, you risk it causing more damage, which will end up costing you more money in repairs.
In terms of the tools that you need in order to replace the garage door panel, they are simple tools that most basic DIY’ers likely have at home. You’ll need a few vise grips, an impact wrench, a measuring tape, and then two hoists. Of course, you’ll also need garage door replacement panels that you will swap out for the damaged one.
In terms of how long this repair job should take, it really isn’t a big job, so it shouldn’t take along at all. If someone else can give you a helping hand, you may be able to get it done a little faster.
Now it’s time for the actual replacement of the panel. For many homeowners, reading the steps one by one can be a bit overwhelming, so it may be useful to watch some videos on how it’s done. The key takeaways are:
● Make sure you have unplugged your automatic garage door opener before starting
● Ensure the door is safely and securely hoisted up while you work on it
● Prop up the panel you are removing so that, as you remove the panel, it doesn’t crash to the ground
● Make sure the cable is on the bottom bracket of the new panel
● Gently place the rollers in the bottom brackets
● As you mount the new panel, work on one side of the time mounting the cable right to the bottom bracket
● Don’t take away the vise grips, clamps, and hoists until after you slide the roller of the panel into the bracket and ensure that the new section is secure
It’s really about taking your time to ensure that everything is secure as you’re working on removing the old panel and installing the new one so that the door doesn’t come crashing down.
By replacing the garage door panel, you’ll be able to bring your garage door back to like-new condition without having to spend an absolute fortune. As mentioned, the key is to get the repair done before any further damage can happen to the door.
