To repair or replace, that is the question. People have been contemplating this quandary for ages. A garage door in disrepair is not only inconvenient to deal with, but it can also be downright dangerous. It’s good to be able to know what a do-it-yourself project is, and when it’s better to just call a professional.
A faulty, heavy, garage door can be deadly if it falls. No one likes it when things get stolen out of their garage, so security is a big issue to consider. A garage door normally gets allot of use, especially with a family of nine-to-fivers. If having to deal with opening up a broken, or hard to use garage door every day is getting you down; action is then needed in order to cut that needless extra stress out of your life by simply fixing or replacing your garage door. Your home represents you and your family to the world, at least the world that lives near you or drives by your house. A simple cosmetic fix-up or a minor inexpensive service or repair will help keep you from having to make that major, unwanted, expensive repair in the future. Here are some issues below to consider when deciding whether to repair or replace it.
Safety
Faulty garage doors can be dangerous and even life-threatening, especially if it falls from above while opening or closing it. Garage doors can weigh in excess of 500 lbs or more. If the door starts feeling overly heavy, or starts sticking when opening, or won’t open when it’s shut, that is a sure sign that a safety problem may be brewing in the garage doors future. Once again, safety should always be the first concern. Springs that do not have enough tension, or are unevenly calibrated, need to be brought back into a perfect balance in order to work properly. If this is the case with your garage door, it is tricky and unsafe for an amateur to attempt messing with springs that are under such a heavy weight of tension.
The most important thing that everyone should heed is to avoid any accidents and injuries. It is smarter sometimes to just break down and have the door inspected. This way you can find out for sure what can be repaired, and what absolutely will need to be replaced. Common issues appear over time, which are normally easy to repair. Something like scratches, dents, rusty spots, or cracks in single panels are simpler, smaller repairs to make, which won’t warrant larger expensive replacements, and are thankfully not usually major safety issues.
Security
Is your garage door loose, broken, or unlockable? Thieves are constantly searching for these attributes. They love easy opportunities to break into other people’s garages. They are after expensive tools, cars, or easy access to the main part of your house through the garage. These are all serious threats to your safety that must be avoided by keeping your garage secure. Professional repair service providers are equipped with the right knowledge, experience, and expertise. There are many reasons why one should maintain proper upkeep on their garage doors, but, the security of one’s family should be paramount.
According to the FBI’s new 2015 report on crime statistics, over 8 million property crimes happened across the United States. Those crimes included burglaries, larceny-thefts, and motor vehicle thefts, which were reported by the nation’s law enforcement agencies. The financial losses suffered by the victims of these crimes totaled an approximate 14.3 Billion. Failing to prevent a monetary loss from theft, or god forbid, a terrible tragedy due to procrastination would truly and literally be a crying shame.
Cosmetics
If your garage starts to look rundown and you’re starting to feel a little embarrassed about how it reflects on the rest of your house; then a replacement is most likely in order. Some service outfits offer the option of customizing the look of your garage door to something that uniquely fits your style. Loud screechy and creaky garage doors are irritating to your neighbors, especially when you’re coming home at late hours of the night. With proper servicing, this problem can easily be fixed.
For a cosmetic fix: rusted, scratched, dented, cracked, warped, or damaged door panels can be individually repaired without much time and expense, or having to replace the whole thing. Normal wear and tear, high winds, or unfortunate vehicle accidents to the door are commonplace and inevitable. It is best not to wait until the whole door is a mess. Calling in a professional for the smaller repairs as they happen, helps extend the lifespan of your door, rather than needlessly having to replace it. With an important investment like your house involved, it is always better to be safe now, rather than sorry later.
Anyone who has had to struggle with a hard to work garage door knows how frustrating it can be to move your car in and out, especially when in a hurry to get to work, or when coming home exhausted from a hard day’s work on the job. Besides being dangerous, faulty garage doors are a time wasting pain in the butt. Some people just give up and start parking their car out front. Unfortunately, this opens up a whole new slew of unfortunate possibilities and circumstances where your car can be BB gunned by vandals, broken into by thieves, hit by drunks and inattentive drivers, all leaving you wishing that you parked in the garage in the first place. Don’t be inconvenienced by a garage door that fails to work properly. The expense of repair or replacement is nothing compared to the expense of fixing or replacing a car, or having to replace the assorted items of value that were stolen from your garage. It is much more convenient to just call a professional and forego all the hassles, dangers, and major eventual costs of not doing anything at all about your faulty garage door.
Are you looking to repair your garage door? Get in touch with New York Gates today. Call us at 718-614-0616 for a free consultation.