Garage doors are meant to last for a pretty long time– in fact, most last anywhere up to 30 years. That means a whole lot of time can pass before you have to think about replacing your garage door.

However, a replacement will become inevitable at some point. When that time finally rolls around, there are some things you should know before you start the process.

It’s hard work

If you haven’t replaced your garage door in a long time, you most likely have an older model of garage door. Whether it’s automatic or manual, an old garage door is often incredibly heavy– in fact, some models can weigh up to 450 pounds.

This means that replacing your garage door is not going to be a quick and easy DIY project. In fact, with such a heavy piece of equipment, trying to replace the door on your own could actually be quite dangerous.

An older garage door that’s visually deteriorating also probably has hardware that’s seen better days. Hardware that’s rusty or not properly secured means that there’s a serious risk that your garage door could fall or otherwise injure you– so it’s definitely important to be fully prepared before you take on this task.

Proper handling

Removing your old garage door is more complicated than it might seem.

You’ll have to gain a good understanding of the hardware and how it all works before you can remove the old door to make way for the new one.

There are two types of garage door springs, and you should familiarize yourself with which one your current door has– torsion or extension.

Torsion springs coil to assist the user with opening or closing the garage door. This spring is used to store energy; that energy makes the door easier to open but also means that the coil is constantly holding tension. For older garage doors, a torsion spring that’s become rusty is at serious risk of snapping, which can be very dangerous.

The other type of spring– an extension spring– has a similar function. It’s a coil that stores tension, which makes it easier to open the door.

However, extension springs tend to last longer than torsion springs.

That’s because extension springs stretch when opening and closing the door, and torsion springs turn– the nature of these actions means that a torsion spring tends to wear out and become dangerous sooner.

Choosing a new door

There are standard sizes for most garage doors, which usually makes it easy to purchase a replacement.

However, some houses have non-standard garage door sizing for a variety of reasons. If this is true for you, you will most likely have a more difficult time purchasing a new door, and may even have to either commission a custom door or hire a contractor to widen or close the space to fit a standard-size door.

Carefully measure your house’s garage door opening. For a one-car garage, it should be about 7 feet tall by 8 or 9 feet wide.

Playing it safe

If you have a lot of technical know-how and a few people to help you, replacing and installing your own garage door might be a great idea.

However, if you’re less confident in your ability to safely remove your old door and install a new one, it’s time to contact the pros.

If you need a garage door replaced, repaired, or installed anywhere in Central Arkansas or Northwest Arkansas, Direct Service Overhead is here to help! Just give us a call or schedule an appointment online to get started.