The panels on your garage door can get damaged in a number of ways. Most commonly, they can be dented when hit by a car. Even a light tap can damage aluminum garage panels. As long as the frame is not damaged, you can easily change the panels. This article explains how to determine if your panels are fixable and how to replace them.
Inspecting Your Damaged Panel
First, you need to figure out if you will be able to actually replace your damaged panel. To do this, you need to inspect the inside of the garage door. You should be able to see whether or not the frame that holds the panel in place is bent. If so, it might be too risky to try and remove your damaged panel. Once you remove the panel, there is a chance that the frame will buckle under the weight of the rest of the door. Also, there is a chance that you just might not be able to make the new panel fit into a bent frame. If you aren't sure, or you notice that there are some possibly bent parts of the frame, you should probably call in a pro. However, if the frame looks good, you can go ahead with the job.
Removing the Panel
Removing the panel is definitely a two man job. The garage should be fully closed when you work on it. One person needs to be inside the garage, removing the screw with a cordless power drill. Meanwhile, the other worker needs to hold up the panel. As the panel comes loose on one end, you don't want it to fall down and cause the frame to bend.
Installing the New Panel
Installing the new panel can be a little tricky. You first need to pop the panel into the frame. This can often be tricky because the empty frame is bound to bend a little bit under the weight of the rest of the garage. So, you often need to lift and bend the frames as you try to pop the panel into place. Then, you just have to tighten the screws to secure the panel.
The great thing about this repair is that you can use the techniques to change your panels even if they are not damaged. If you just want to update the style of your doors, you can replace the panels one by one. For more tips or professional assistance, talk to a contractor like Overhead Door Co. of Everett Inc.
Share6 October 2016
