Parts wear, doors last
Springs, cables, rollers and openers are replaceable parts. DASMA TDS-190 notes spring life may not match door life.
Free tool
Repair it, or replace it?
Most single failures, like a spring, a cable or an opener, are repairs. Rust through, rot or several damaged sections usually point to a new door. Answer five questions for a leaning, the reasons and what to ask for in writing.
Helper
Five questions
General guidance, not an inspection. It never shows prices, because only a look at your door can set one.
Leaning
Ask for
General guidance, not a quote or an inspection. No prices are shown because only a look at your door can set one.
Get both options pricedRules of thumb
How the helper leans
These are the patterns behind the answer.
Spreading damage
Rust through steel and rot in wood rarely stay patched.
Old openers
The federal standard covers openers made on or after January 1, 1993. The CPSC says openers without automatic reversal should be replaced.
Warmth
If you want an insulated door, compare by whole-door U-factor, per DASMA TDS-163.
Sources
Where the rules come from
Read on the date shown.
- TDS-151: Garage door safety. DASMA.
Spring, cable and bracket components are under extreme tension and are for trained door systems technicians.
Accessed - TDS-190: Spring cycle life. DASMA.
Spring cycle life may not match door cycle life.
Accessed - TDS-163: Garage door thermal performance. DASMA.
U-factor and R-value are not reciprocals for garage doors; ANSI/DASMA 105 is the whole-door test standard.
Accessed - 16 CFR Part 1211, Safety Standard for Automatic Residential Garage Door Operators. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations.
Applies to residential openers made on or after January 1, 1993; a closing door must start reversing within 2 seconds of contact, and photo eyes are an allowed secondary device.
Accessed - Government and industry move to reduce garage door opener child entrapment deaths. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
Says openers without automatic reversal systems should be replaced immediately.
Accessed
Short answers
Repair or replace questions, answered first
Short answers.
How long does a garage door last?
It varies with use, material and care, so we do not state a number. Parts like springs wear out on their own schedule. A sound door with a broken part is usually a repair.
Is replacing one section worth it?
Often, if the model is still made. See panel replacement for what to send.
Why no prices?
Because we have no verified local prices to show you. Send the details and get a written price for your door.
Send the details
Get both options priced
Ask for a written price for the repair, and for a new door if it is worth comparing.
What happens next
- 1 Send the details What the door is doing, your town, and a photo or two if you have them.
- 2 We follow up You hear back the way you asked, with next steps.
- 3 Price in writing You see it before any work starts, and the yes or no stays with you.
What helps us price it
- A photo of the whole door from inside, and one of the problem
- Door width and height, roughly (most are 8 or 16 ft wide)
- The opener brand and model, from the label on the motor
- Whether the door is single or double, steel or wood, insulated or not
- Whether it is stuck open, stuck shut or still working
If anyone is trapped or hurt, call 911 first. Do not try to free a door by loosening springs or cables.