Is your garage door cracked? If so, you may be asking yourself, “Can a garage door be repaired?” Often, a garage door that’s cracked is repairable, but it’ll depend on how badly it’s damaged, the location of the crack, and the material your garage door is made of. Keeping your garage door in good repair is vital for ensuring safety and preventing further damage from weather and continued use. At Overhead Garage Door, we have an expert team of professionals who can assess your garage door crack and, if possible, make the necessary repairs to keep it working.

Introduction to Garage Door Durability

Although most garage doors are built to last with life spans of between 15 and 30 years, the durability of your door will vary based on how often you use it, what it’s made of, and the weather. A garage door crack might form for several reasons. For instance, a vehicle may have hit it, or heavy rain, hail, or snow may cause damage. Because we serve the greater Chicagoland and Southeast Wisconsin areas, we’re familiar with repairing weather-damaged garage doors, but we can service doors that have cracked for any reason.

Steel garage doors typically have the best durability, as they’re resistant to daily wear and tear and have a solid build. Wood garage doors can be simple to repair, but wood is susceptible to warping and rotting. An aluminum and glass garage door won’t easily rust or corrode; however, these types of garage doors can be expensive and challenging to repair. Composite overlay garage doors combine the durability of steel and the look of wood, making them attractive and low maintenance. Unfortunately, repairing a crack in a composite garage door isn’t easy and may require replacing the door entirely.

Diagnosing the Severity of Your Garage Door Crack

Before you can decide whether to repair a cracked door or replace it, you’ll need to diagnose the severity of your garage door crack. This is something you may be able to do on your own, but if you’re not sure how to inspect your garage door crack, feel free to give us a call. We offer full-service garage door repairs throughout Chicagoland and Southeast Wisconsin.

Use these questions to help you understand the severity of your garage door damage:

• Does the garage door open and close on its own?
• Does the door stall during opening or closing?
• Is the garage door off its track?
• Is the crack easily visible?
• Is the crack on a single panel or multiple panels?
• Are there any noises when opening or closing the garage door?
• How wide and deep is the garage door crack?
• Is there any damage to the springs or track?

A minor crack in a single garage door panel will be much easier to repair than a large, deep crack that runs across many panels. When other factors are contributing to the damage or causing it, your garage door crack repair may be more extensive. The best way to keep your garage door in good repair is to establish a routine maintenance schedule. If you’re not sure how, we can help.

Addressing Large Cracks: Repair vs. Replacement

Knowing the severity of the crack in your garage door is only the first step. Once you understand the extent of the damage, you’ll need to decide whether you can repair the crack. Large cracks could require you to replace your garage door completely. Below, we provide the assessment criteria you’ll need to decide between garage door crack repair and replacement.

Assessment Criteria for Deciding Between Repair and Replacement

You can often repair superficial garage door cracks. Here’s how to tell if your garage door crack is repairable:

• The crack is small and doesn’t penetrate through the panel.
• The crack is only on a single garage door panel.
• There isn’t additional damage causing the garage door to crack.
• There aren’t multiple cracks in the garage door.
• Your garage door isn’t more than 15 years old.
• This is the first time you’ve had to make repairs to your garage door.

On the other hand, you may have to replace your garage door if:

• The crack is more than a few inches long.
• You’ve had the garage door for more than 15 years.
• You can see light through the crack.
• The garage door has many large or small cracks.
• There are also issues with your garage door springs.
• There’s damage to the garage door track.
• You have trouble raising or lowering the garage door.
• The garage door makes a lot of noise when it opens or closes.
• You have to force the door to close or open.
• You’ve had to repair the garage door several times within the last few years.
• Any wood or materials the door is made of are rotten, rusted, or showing other signs of wear.

Our team at Overhead Garage Door can provide garage door crack repair services, including replacing single or multiple garage door panels if necessary. Let our team help you assess your garage door damage and provide guidance on whether to repair or replace it. We understand the urgency of having your garage door working properly, so we offer 24-hour emergency garage door repair services. Our professional team will show up to your Chicagoland home the same day you request our services and work diligently to get your door working as it should.

Contact Overhead Garage Door Today

Don’t let a garage door crack get you down. Contact us today and let us take care of the damage. We’re a full-service garage door company, so you can count on us to provide professionalism in everything we do. From garage door repairs to full installations, we do it all. Check out our photo gallery to see our past work. We’re sure you’ll be impressed.

a wooden garage door on a brick building by Dan Akuna is licensed with Unsplash License