Garage Door Installation Advice
How long has it been since your garage door installation? The average life span of a garage door is 15 to 30 years, but depending on several factors such as high frequency of use, damage, corrosion, and more, your garage door could need replacement even sooner. Here are our picks for the most important signs to determine if your garage door needs to be replaced.
Behaviors that Create Safety and Security Concerns
A high-quality garage door installation will be safe to operate and improve the security of your home. A failing garage door creates a safety and security risk to homeowners, children, pets, or anyone else around the doors when they’re being operated. Here are some of the biggest safety concerns. 
• An inability to close all the way may allow intruders into your home.
• Shutting too quickly may injure someone or cause damage to your property.
• A faulty safety sensor will automatically make the doors unable to retract when there’s an obstruction.
• Issues with the mechanism may allow intruders to open the door manually from the outside.
Sagging
When you lift them, deteriorating garage doors will start to sag in the center. Wooden garage doors are especially susceptible to sagging since wood easily rots from water damage.
Slow Speed
Upon any initial garage door installation, the speed of the doors while opening and closing is carefully checked to prevent the door from moving too quickly, which could cause damage or hurt someone nearby. However, a garage door that moves or responds too slowly may have a weakening mechanism, a dying sensor, or other severe issues.
Loud Noises
Certain loud, repetitive noises indicate a failing mechanism, an improperly done garage door installation, or other problems. For example, a loud popping noise could be a sign of a snapped torsion spring, a grinding noise is commonly indicative of a loose roller, and a groaning noise might result from bent tracks.
Repeated Breakdowns and Other Reliability Issues
Many older garage doors break down often or have other reliability issues such as getting stuck, not responding to the remote, or only going up or down partially before the motor stops. Some problems can be fixed with minor repairs, but repeated breakdowns and other problems are usually signs of a failing mechanism that needs replacement.
Visually Unappealing
Depending on how long it has been since your initial garage door installation, your garage doors have likely diminished in visual appeal over the years. Cracks, faded colors, stains, dents, cracked windowpanes, and more all turn any garage door into an eyesore and reduce your home’s curb appeal.
High Costs
Old garage doors can wind up costing you a lot of money. Hundreds of dollars are wasted on energy bills due to poor insulation from garage doors. Continuous maintenance and breakdowns also easily eat up your budget. A brand new garage door installation will provide better insulation, help keep energy costs down, and relieve you of any repair costs.
