Garage Door Repair: Damaged Panel Replacement

Your automatic garage door is built one of two ways, as a solid single piece, or in hinged sections. Solid style garage doors are less common but are still found on many homes, but most automatic garage doors are now sectioned. This allows the garage door to easily remain in the tracks of the garage door mechanism as it glides up and down. Most doors have three or four hinged sections.

Now let’s say that the garage door is somehow damaged. It can happen to anyone. In a solid style garage door that, of course, means that a full replacement is required. However, in a sectional garage door, you may be able to get away with replacing only the damaged panel at substantial savings. Here are some tips for damaged panel replacement.

The Right Panel

For any number of reasons, both obvious and not, the damaged panel has to be replaced with the proper replacement piece. The best solution is to go to the manufacturer to find the right part.

Find out the manufacturer of your garage door. This should be listed on the door itself. You can usually find the replacement panel you need by going online to the manufacturer’s web site. If you are unable to find your parts this way, call a local overhead door manufacturer/installer. They should be able to find the parts. The individual panels will normally come in a replacement kit.

Use a tape measure to get the exact size of your replacement panel. All garage doors are not made equally or of a universal size.

Replacing the Panel

Once you have the correct panel replacement kit, you are ready to start.

Secure the garage door in place. Put the door in the down position and lock it there securely so it won’t roll up.
The door panels are held in place by hinged brackets, so you will need to disconnect them by unbolting the brackets using a hand or socket wrench. The panel of the door can then be slid out through the bottom of the track. The replacement panel can then slide back into place and be reattached to the door with a wrench.
If it is the bottom panel, only it will need to be removed. If it is a center or top panel, the panels below it will also need to be removed and then reset.

This replacement process can also be achieved by removing the entire door, but this will also mean that it will have to be re-hung and the spring tension of the system readjusted.

After Replacement

Check the mechanism and make certain that the door is properly functioning. Make certain the rollers are in alignment and all bolts properly tightened.

If you are still having problems, you may consider having a professional installer come in and finish the job. If the door tension needs to be adjusted, a professional may be the best solution to your problem as the tension of the spring makes it a dangerous process.