Over the past few decades, garage doors have evolved greatly from what used to be manually operated ones that required a bit of muscle. Today’s advanced electronics and microchips have made using a garage door a very simple process. However, the question is, how long should you use a garage door until you think about replacing it?

In this article, we’ll attempt to answer this age-old question in light of the latest garage doors. We also keep pricing and other factors in mind.

Your Garage Door Should Last a Few Decades

How often you choose to replace the garage door will depend on a couple of factors which includes how often it is used, and if it was professionally maintained.

Most modern Garage Doors’ Panels should last you at least 30 years before they may have to be replaced. On the other hand, garage door, openers should last for up to 15 years.

As a rule of thumb, the closer you get to these estimated figures, the harder you should be thinking about replacing. However, you may not have to replace the entire garage door. A couple of parts can be swapped out for new ones, and it isn’t going to be as expensive as buying a new garage door.

When Should a Garage Door Be Replaced?

  • When your garage door is damaged, however, we define damaged as something that’s more than just cosmetic. Take, for instance, if your garage door was hit by a car to the extent that’s it all bent, or has deep gashes, then it is a candidate for replacement.
  • Upgrading from a manual to an automatic garage door is another reason to replace it. Most manual garage doors have outlived their original life expectancy, so it’s fine to replace them.
  • Want to add curb appeal to your home, only a new garage door can do that. Choose a color, design, and something that feels fresh.

When is the Garage Door a Good Candidate for Repair?

Certain issues with a garage door can be repaired by a team of professionals. Issues like a broken spring can be fixed. The same goes for bent panels, which can be replaced by professionals, and it isn’t all that expensive either.

If your Garage Door Spring Is Broken, that too can easily be replaced by a team of professionals. There is no reason to replace the garage door because the spring broke. All torsion springs have a service life, and beyond that rated number of cycles, they become unreliable.

Get a Professional Opinion

Whether you decide to repair or replace the existing garage door, it is essential that you get the opinion of a trained professional. A technician should be able to help you decide if your garage door should be replaced or if it can be reliably repaired. They can also give you an estimate of the cost if you take the route of replacing the garage door.