Signs of a garage door in need of replacement include rotting wood on the bottom, sagging, peeling paint or dented steel, light coming through the bottom, worn or rusted hardware, or simply inconsistent operation.
If you are renovating your house and think it would look better with a new door, by all means take the plunge. New doors are not particularly expensive, and they can often be installed by a DIYer (see How To Install a Garage Door for instructions. It is really hard to make a bigger improvement to the look of your home's exterior in just a few hours than by installing a new garage door.
But there are a couple of things to keep in mind before you start shopping for a new door. First, most garage doors can be painted. If your biggest gripe is simply that the existing door color isn't right, or the coating is dirty or peeling, consider opting for a paint job instead of replacement.
Second, if you just have a problem with a single panel, you may be able to find a replacement for the panel without having to replace the entire door. Look for a serial number on the bottom of the panel, and then contact the manufacturer or a garage door supplier who handles the same brand of door. If the garage door is not too old, you may be able to order a matching panel, although it is quite possible that the color of the replacement will not exactly match the faded color of the remaining panels.
But if replacement remains the goal, here are some tips and links that can help guide you through the shopping experience.
- Material. There is really no "best" material for a garage door, but there probably is a best choice for your home. Learn about the different materials garage doors can be made of in Choosing the Best Garage Door Material. For a bit more information on wood garage doors, see Quick Guide To Wooden Garage Doors.
- Style. Yes, you really do need to be style conscious when choosing a new garage door. Houses are built in styles, and garage doors are made to conform with, or at least complement, those styles. Take a quick primer on the subject with Understanding Garage Door Styles.
- Cost. As with just about everything else, you can spend a lot of money or very little money on a garage door. Find answers to the primary questions regarding costs in this article.
- Green Choices. There are some things to know about making the most environmentally conscious choice in a new garage door, which you can learn more about in Choosing a Green Garage Door.
- Install It Yourself? This is a great way to reduce expenses, but only if you know what you are doing. How To Install a Garage Door will fill that bill.
- Find an Installer. So, if you don't want to handle the installation yourself, you do want to find a top quality, reliable and affordable professional to do the job. Tips of doing so can be found in this article.