Studies suggest that the average American family makes use of their garage door some 1,500 times each year. And every time it works, life just got easier. But when it doesn’t – life can very quickly grind to a screeching halt, and often at inconvenient times. With regular upkeep, quality garage doors can live long lives, but on a long enough timeline they all need to be replaced. Finding that fine line of investing more and more each year in replacement parts versus biting the bullet and replacing the whole system is key to not wasting money. So, when is it time to replace your garage door system?
When it is Doing a Bad Job as a Door
An extreme and obvious case of when a door needs to be replaced is when it isn’t doing its job. What we mean is that if a door is damaged and is exposing the interior of the garage to the elements OR simply has enough damage space to let critters in – you are risking the contents of your home. At that point, the whole point of having a garage door is defeated. If the door is not keeping the outside outside, you need to replace it. And of course, this also has implications for security threats. If a damaged door cannot be locked or is an easy access point for criminals, do your family a favor and replace it.
When it is Dragging Down the Vibe of Your Home
Perhaps your garage door isn’t horribly damaged, but instead it may be terribly out-of-date or mismatched with your home. If you think about the total visible ‘face’ of your home, the garage door makes up a significant portion. People notice, and to many, that matters. This is a fringe case that simply depends on your financial situation, and how much you value a cohesive look for your home (and, of course, the overall value of your dwelling). In other words, your garage door may be dragging down the curb appeal of your house. There are other (sometimes) minor considerations with an outdated garage door. Old doors usually don’t insulate as well, so money may be trickling out of your pocket when heating or cooling your home, due in-part to your garage door.