How Do You Fix the Buckled Garage Door?
Introduction:
No matter how confident we are in our parking skill, we tend to misjudge the spatial relation issues to put it lightly. Like you are backing your car just like you did dozens of times. But this time you misjudge the distance of the garage door and your car. And just like that you have hit the bottom panels of your garage door. Now you must be thinking ‘how do you fix the bent garage door?’ or ‘should you try to fix it yourself or call a professional?’. The answer to these questions is simple, how bad is the damage? And what your garage door is composed of?.
You can assess the damage by looking at the door. If it is not that bad and rollers are fixed in their track then you can do it yourself.
What makes the garage door buckle?
If you drive your car on a daily basis then you also use your garage door frequently. So, if you use your garage door every day then you will probably know how annoying it is when something goes wrong in your garage door. But these garage door problems are inevitable especially when you are not properly taking care of your garage door.
You can fix the problem only if you know what has gone wrong with it. The most common concern of the people with garage doors is that the garage door panel is buckling, pulling in or bending. Sometimes, the garage door buckles so bad that even the door does not close. But the good news is that this problem is easily fixable and you can do it yourself or call a professional if you know what has gone wrong with it.
There are several reasons why your garage door buckles and all these issues should be checked for the proper functioning of your garage door. And if you want to avoid your garage door from buckling or bending then make sure you treat these six symptoms as soon as they start showing.
l The quality of your garage door: Sometimes, the garage door is not made up from good quality materials and it can cause bending and breaking your garage door. Flimsy metals are more likely to get damaged and they should be replaced with good quality materials such as steel or aluminum.
l You garage door has experienced extreme weather: Since your garage doors are electric. So, they can buckle or bend when they are experienced with heavy storm conditions. In this particular situation, you do not need to replace the door but just replace the affected panels to make your door up and running again.
l Your tracks are not aligned: The garage door tracks are the parts that cause garage door rollers to open or close in alignment with the door frame. If the tracks are not aligned they cause the door to bent or buckle. Sometimes, the misalignment is so bad that they throw the whole door off the track. If you think your tracks are misaligned then call the professionals to fix it immediately.
l Problem might be in the door arms: The door arms are the parts that connect the opener with the door. The door arm should be positioned diagonally when the door is closed. So, if your door arm is not at the right angle or it is too straight then the door rail will bow up. And you are up for some serious damage.
l Installing the strut: Strut is the part of the door that facilitates the smooth opening and closing of your door. So, the people who are thinking ‘can a bent door be fixed?’ then the strut is your answer. It will prevent the door from buckling and bending.
l Oil it up the rusty machinery: sometimes, a bit of oil will solve your problem. If your hinges and roller are rusty then applying a bit of grease will prevent it from buckling or bending and this will also stop all the screeching noise that the doors are making. After the lubrication, the door will open and close smoothly.
How to fix a bent garage door?
If your door is made up from aluminum or steel then you may not need to replace the whole panel because aluminum is more flexible and prone to bending. So, take a step back and look at the damage that has happened due to your car back into it. Open or close your door multiple times and see if the operation is smooth or not. If the door operation is smooth then the damage is not that much. And even you can fix the little bit of damage by adding steel struts into your door.
Steel struts will help you prevent any other bowing or bending in the door. This is the most efficient and cost-effective way and it does not even require changing of panels. This also solves the aesthetic base issue we are having. Because we cannot prevent ourselves from cringing at our damaged doors.
Replacing panels:
Sometimes fixing your garage door only requires you to replace a panel. You can contact the original installer of your door and ask them to replace the panels. They may also install the panel that is similar to the already present one. Hire a professional for the replacement. He will be able to complete the task within an hour or two.
How much does it cost to fix the bent garage door?
The cost to fix the bent garage door depends upon the damage that has been done. For example, if the door is not damaged that badly then applying steel struts will save your money as well as time. The more damage means more labor time which will increase the cost as well.
Conclusion:
These methods will provide you a guide to help you get through the procedure of repairing your garage door. Just do not try to fix it yourself unless you are a professional.