Life Expectancy of a Garage Door and Garage Door Opener?
When you purchase a new garage door and garage door opener, you might expect them to last forever. Depending on the style and design of the door though, your garage’s entry point might need garage door repair in a handful of years and replacing it 15 to 30 years after installation.
If you just moved into a home that’s new to you, check the age of the garage door. If it got installed 15 years or more ago, you should probably replace it before you have a problem with it.
Garage Door Materials
Long ago, every garage door consisted of wood. A door revolution brought about steel, then aluminum doors. Fiberglass and vinyl round out your choices. Today’s doors come in an array of options, but none lasts forever.
Of all these materials, a steel door lasts the longest – up to 30 years with proper maintenance and preventative care. Aluminum also serves a homeowner well over the long term, lasting nearly as long.
Wood looks beautiful but you will need to treat it and paint it regularly to keep it looking great. It may require extra insulation to shore up drafts.
Garage Door Styles
Door styles also influence how long a door lasts. A solid steel door that folds upward tends to last the longest. It’s simple design leaves little to chance and it proves the easiest to maintain.
Carriage door styles also last a long time. These doors open out like regular entry doors or barn doors. Since they don’t use springs or complex mechanical motors to open and shut, they last longer – up to 25 to 30 years.
As gorgeous as they look, those premanufactured, fancy garage doors with windowpanes and wood carvings offer a lot to go wrong. A storm can break the windows. It’s easy to chip the carved wood. Having a custom door created specifically for your home costs almost the same as an off-the-shelf door but avoids these problems.
Fiberglass options offer a compromise. These garage doors look as if they’re made from wood but offer a more durable option that won’t require painting. Fiberglass garage doors also frequently include insulation, so they help reduce your energy bills and make your garage warmer.
You can find garage doors with unbreakable windows, and that use reinforced designs. If your older garage door lacks built-in insulation or passed the age of 20, you need to replace it.
Springs Break First on Most Garage Doors
The springs go first on most garage doors. The standard springs used in garage door design have a life expectancy of a 10,000-cycles. That means you can open or shut it 10,000 times before the springs break. If you need to open your garage door more often than twice per day, your door won’t last as long. Here’s a quick guide to how frequent use wears out the springs.
Used twice per day: 13 to 14 years.
Used four times per day: 6 to 7 years.
Used six times per day: 4 to 5 years.
Used eight times per day: 3 years.
Garage Door Openers Wear at a Different Rate
The garage door opener that comes with it probably won’t last as long as the door does. The opener usually lasts between 10 and 15 years with proper maintenance. The frequency of use matters, too, though.
An opener that’s consistently in operation multiple times per day wears out faster than one that gets used sparingly. If you can park in your driveway during the day, and only pull your car into the garage once per day, you’ll save yourself from needing to replace your garage door opener before it would normally wear out.
Damage That Indicates You Need to Replace the Door Early
How do you know when you need to call a Fresno garage door repair service? In most cases, springs can get replaced and the door will continue to function normally for another few years.
Garage door openers cost little to replace. If it stopped working with regular maintenance, replacing it serves you better than spending the money to try to fix it.
Broken windows or other glass elements in the door you can have replaced. Dents, tears in the materials, and buckling require professional repair or garage door replacement. These items reduce the security provided by your garage door. If your garage door cannot open and shut fully, it needs replacing.
Likewise, mechanical problems and other operational issues require a professional. Perhaps your garage door came off its tracks. In most cases, a garage door service person can repair this. If the track itself incurred damage though, you may need to replace the door.
If repairs would cost 75 percent or more of the cost of a replacement door with installation, just replace the garage door. You’ll likely end up saving money doing it this way because you won’t need to pay for a second repair visit for other problems when they arise.
Hiring a Professional to Replace or Repair the Door
Look for experience in repair and installation when choosing garage door repair Fresno residents can trust. Choosing a garage door service professional with at least three years of experience repairing and installing a variety of door styles will ensure the best results.
Check their business license, industry credentials, and their customer reviews. Choose the most trustworthy option with the most experience and best reviews of installations.
Each company you contact should provide you with a written estimate. Check each company’s warranty, too. Your door will have its own warranty, but you need to know that the company warranties its work, too.
Garage Door and Garage Door Opener Help
When you need garage door installation Fresno residents can trust, call the pros at Precision Door. We’ve served Fresno since 1999 and offer a full warranty on our work. Let us help you keep your home in top shape by replacing your old, worn, or broken garage door. Use our garage door designer to choose your new door from a range of materials and styles. Using our design tool, you can create a sturdy garage door using steel, aluminum, or fiberglass garage door that matches your home’s exterior and customize the handles and hinges. Contact us today to get started.
