Raynor dealers see and solve a lot of problems with garage doors, often without replacing them. But sometimes after years of hard use, doors have simply suffered too much wear and tear. There may be some safety issues as well. If you are wondering if you should attempt to have your door repaired or replaced, here are some tips for knowing when it is definitely “time” for replacement.

If your garage door could talk

It’s only natural that a garage door will pick up a few dings and dents over the years. If it could speak for itself, it may say that we all wouldn’t look so good if we had kids from three different homeowners using us as a baseball backstop or if we’ve had careless drivers get a little too close, too many times, with their bumpers.

These types of problems are often cosmetic and may be corrected, or at least masked fairly easily, with a fresh coat of paint. To determine if replacing your door for primarily cosmetic reasons is worth it, try our Design-A-Door visualizer to see how some of the newer door styles from Raynor might look on your home. Studies show that aesthetics is the No. 1 reason why a homeowner embarks on a home improvement project, so you may decide that enhanced curb appeal is more than enough reason for an update.

CHECKLIST: You might want to replace if…

• You are unhappy with the overall appearance
• You are moving in near future and wish to update home resale appeal
• Your current door lacks modern features: poorly insulated, sections can pinch fingers, door doesn’t reverse on contact with an object and generally doesn’t have other updated functions

Telltale signs your door is beyond fixing

Along with cosmetic issues or an obvious condition like the door simply won’t operate and will need a new opener, there are some important functional matters about the door itself that you can easily check to help you decide if you should ask for “Sales” or “Service” when you call your Raynor dealer.

1. Broken sections

Splintered sections on wood doors and missing parts are easy to spot. Also check for these clues that your door should be replaced.

Problems:

• Loose or missing insert panels
• Deformed or badly dented sections that cause the door to fit poorly in the opening
• Rotted wood (on wood doors) with loose or missing hinges and rollers; screws no longer firmly attached
• Damaged lower section causing the door to sit unevenly on the floor
• Misaligned panels

Problems like these definitely affect the door’s structural integrity and can also be an open invitation for rodents, insects or even burglars (not necessarily in order of preference!).

You may be able to have your Raynor dealer replace a broken section if the door model is still being manufactured. But if your door is quite old or there is more extensive damage, it is likely that it will make more sense to replace it.

2. Excessive vibration

When you open and close the door, does it shimmy and shake (even without lively dance music playing)? That can be a sign of a host of problems affecting how the door moves on its tracks.

Problems:

• Rollers and hinges haven’t been lubricated
• Uneven side-to-side tension on the door
• Worn shaft bearings on the opener

• When you press the remote, your door will begin to close even when there is an obstruction placed in the opening between the sensors. Test this by putting a garbage can or other object in the sensor path.

• The LED sensor lights are not on. Check to be sure they are both clean and are glowing. If one or both LED’s are not illuminated, there may be an alignment problem or damage. Try adjusting them slightly with your hand. If they come back on, the safety beam should be working again. Retest as described above.

Security checklist:

• Panels fit snugly in the opening and can’t be spread easily from the frame to expose side latches or the top trolley release

• Door can’t be opened easily with moderate force

Source:  http://blog.raynor.com/repair-or-replace-your-garage-door