Damaged garage door panel? Call now and tell us what the door is doing.
✆ Call 845-535-1141If a car has hit the door or a section has buckled, stop running the opener until the door has been looked at. A bent section can pull rollers out of the track and put the door's weight where it was never meant to go. If the door is closed and looks square, leave it closed. Call 845-535-1141 and describe the damage; a photo sent by text helps.
Is It Cosmetic or Structural?
| What you see | What it usually means | Typical answer |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow dent, door runs normally | Cosmetic damage to the skin | Leave it, or replace the section for appearance |
| Crease or fold across a section | The section has lost stiffness and will flex each cycle | Reinforce with a strut, or replace the section |
| Top section bowed or cracked where the opener arm attaches | The opener is pulling on an unreinforced section | Fit an opener reinforcement bracket and strut; replace the section if cracked through |
| Section pushed in, rollers out of the track | Impact has taken the door off track | Secure the door, replace the section, repair the track |
| Rust through along the bottom edge | Road salt and standing water | Replace the bottom section and seal; check brackets and cables |
| Cracked or rotted wood, delaminating panel | Moisture damage | Replace the section, or the door if several are affected |
Can a Single Section Be Replaced?
Often, yes. A sectional door is built from separate horizontal sections, and one can be changed without replacing the others. Whether it is practical depends on three things:
- Whether the section is still made. Manufacturers change panel designs, and a discontinued model may have no matching section. The maker's label is usually on the inside edge of a section or on the end stile; a photo of it speeds things up.
- Colour match. A door that has faced the sun for years has faded. A new section in the same colour can still look different until it weathers, or until the door is repainted.
- How many sections are damaged. Once two or more need replacing, compare the cost with a new door, which also brings new hardware, new seals and a fresh warranty.
How Panel Replacement Works
- Identify the door: manufacturer, model, size, panel style, colour and insulation.
- Make the door safe. Spring tension is managed before any section is unbolted. The bottom section carries the brackets that the lift cables attach to, so it is never removed with the springs loaded.
- Swap the section and transfer or replace its hinges, rollers and struts.
- Check the rest of the door: track alignment, rollers and cables often take a share of the same impact.
- Rebalance and test. A section of different weight changes what the springs need to carry. The opener's travel and safety reverse are tested last.
When a New Door Makes More Sense
- The model is discontinued and no matching section exists.
- Several sections are damaged or rusted.
- The door is uninsulated and you were already thinking of upgrading.
- The tracks, springs and hardware are worn as well.
See garage door replacement and garage door installation, or the guide to repairing or replacing a garage door.
What You Can Safely Do
- Photograph the damage from inside and outside, and the maker's label.
- Keep the door closed if it will close normally. If it is stuck open, keep people clear and see what to do when a garage door is stuck open.
- Do not try to push a buckled section back, and do not unbolt hinges or brackets. The bottom brackets are under spring tension.
Related Services
Frequently Asked Questions
Where and When We Work
We are open Sunday to Thursday 7 AM to 11 PM, and Friday 7 AM to 1 PM (closed Saturday). In Rockland County that includes Monsey, Spring Valley, Suffern, New City, Nanuet and the surrounding communities, and we also serve Orange, Westchester, Putnam, Dutchess, Ulster and Sullivan counties. Call 845-535-1141 to confirm availability for your address.