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Whether for aesthetic purposes, functionality, or both, your garage door is an important element of your home, and when it goes wrong, it can be a huge inconvenience, not to mention an expense that most homeowners could do without. Having your garage door regularly serviced by a professional can minimize the risk of having to pay out large amounts in repairs, or being forced to replace your door, but sometimes wear and tear is inevitable and cannot be prevented.

In these cases, it can be useful to know whether a repair job will be enough, or whether you need to replace the garage door.


Here is a short guide to help you try and decide better, before you contact your local garage door specialist:

What damage has affected your garage door?

The three most common types of damage to garage doors are cosmetic, structural and functional.

Cosmetic: usually easy to repair and can include chipped paint or a cracked panel, for example. Can be fixed by a non-professional.

Structural: often caused by bad weather or an accident, structural damage can prevent your door from functioning as it should. Should be fixed by a professional.

Functional: if the garage door gets stuck, makes loud noises when opening and shutting, or doesn’t work at all, this is known as functional damage. Must be fixed by a professional.

Do you need professional repair or replacement?

Minor damage or small issues affecting functionality can probably be repaired, such as a broken spring, cable or bent garage door track, but this work should always be carried out by a professional. However, any problem that is preventing the garage door from opening and closing properly and has extensive damage that you can both see and hear, such as what might occur after a flood or car crash, is best solved by purchasing a new garage door. Repairs to badly
damaged garage doors can be costly, and that’s if they can be repaired; some doors will be completely beyond repair.

What if you’re not sure what the extent of the damage is?

Even for minor repairs, it really does pay to have a professional assessment, so that you can be safe in the knowledge that the problem has been properly identified and will be repaired to a high enough standard. With the average door weighing up to 400 lbs, it isn’t worth messing around with it yourself, or guessing as to what the problem might be, get it wrong, and you could put your life in jeopardy.

It can be important to remember that if you do have to replace your garage door due to extensive or irreparable damage, it can add significant value to your home and will certainly increase your home’s curb appeal.

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