Your garage door is the largest, single-moving part of your home. It’s also a significant focal point that can enhance or diminish your curb appeal. Because they don’t need replacement often, finding the right garage door can be an overwhelming task.
In this article, you’ll discover how long garage doors last, how to make them last longer, and signs you need a replacement.
How Long Do Garage Doors Last?
Like your home’s roof, garage doors can last anywhere from 15 to 30 years, depending on the material. For example, natural wooden doors typically last 15 to 30 years.
All other doors like steel, aluminum, and composite wood last roughly 20 -30 years. Like those made by Clopay Residential and Amarr Residential Garage Doors, doors are steel to fit any style while maximizing durability. Many homeowners opt for steel to achieve a wooden or carriage door look with the most durability and insulation capabilities.
How to Extend the Lifespan of Your Door
Your garage door ages faster or slower depending on:
- Usage
- Material quality
- Maintenance
- Environment
Try the following tips to extend the usable life of your garage door.
Choose durability
Because a garage door is such a notable investment in your home’s energy efficiency and curb appeal, start by selecting the most durable door material. Steel doors are made to withstand wear and tear over the years. However, if you’ve got your heart set on wood, it’s important to choose from a reputable brand like Northwest Residential Garage Doors. Their combination of materials helps to reinforce durability while extending the life of your door.
Schedule regular maintenance
The system of pulleys, rollers, and springs to open your garage door receive the highest use and will wear down the fastest. These typically only last 10 to 15 years and will need to be replaced at least once within the lifetime of your door.
Weather is also a contributing factor. The Denver area is subject to frequent, damage-inducing hailstorms. In 2021 alone, there were 23 hail events reported on top of other harsh weather conditions. This kind of weather can cause rust, water invasion, and functional damage to your garage door. You’ll want to check your garage door every few months and after major weather events.
Regular maintenance areas should include:
- Cleaning and lubricating moving hardware
- Checking and replacing weather stripping
- Ensuring the sensors are functioning
- Cleaning your door, especially after harsh weather
Malfunctioning or falling doors can be fatal. Give us a call on our 24/7 emergency line if your door has trouble opening or falls quickly.
Signs Your Garage Door Needs Replacing
If you’ve recently purchased your home or have been in it a while, you may need to replace the door. Garage door replacements cost an average of $754 – $1,586, but homeowners typically recoup up to 95% or more of the cost in a home sale.
Read our article on 5 Signs It’s Time for a New Garage Door for a deeper idea of when to replace your door. Here are a few signs below:
- Your door requires frequent repairs
- You’ve been in your home for about 15 to 20 years
- Your garage door has trouble opening
Questions to Vet A Professional
Finding a trustworthy specialist can mean the difference between years of beautiful curb appeal and years of headaches. Unfortunately, all garage door installation specialists are not created equal. Here’s a shortlist of questions to ask when vetting your next professional for installation or maintenance:
- How many door manufacturers do they offer?
- Does the business have a provable track record?
- Is their team licensed and insured?
- Does the garage door specialist understand the different R-values and what they mean?
- Will they remove and properly dispose of your old garage door?
For more than 30 years, American Garage Door has been serving the Denver, Colorado area. From maintenance to design to installation, we’ve helped homeowners find garage doors they can fall in love with. We carry several manufacturers with varying styles marrying form and function. And if you don’t find something you like, we customize doors to fit your needs. But you don’t have to take our word for it! See what your neighbors have to say about our work and give us a call for a free consultation.
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