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Garage door replacement can be a daunting prospect if you aren’t familiar with the process. You may fear the cost or the hassle, or you may simply not know enough about the industry to feel comfortable with it. The most common events that trigger home improvement projects are purchasing a home or preparing it for selling. In many cases, your existing door can be repaired or refurbished, so how do you decide whether to repair or replace it? In many cases, simply adding a new automatic opener system is all you need. Read on for some helpful hints about replacing your garage door. Upon Buying or Selling Your Home The statistics show that garage door replacement is one of the most effective improvement projects for increasing your home’s value and salability. The increase in curb appeal alone is persuasive for buyers, but even more importantly, buyers like houses that don’t require large repair projects. In fact, Remodeling magazine rated this as one of the most affordable renovations that also provides a high return on investment. If you have recently purchased a resale home, the garage door is one of the first items to have inspected and serviced. Without a detailed knowledge of the home’s maintenance history, you have no way of knowing how well the former owners took care of this safety-centric item. The risk of accident or injury, not to mention security concerns, are reason enough to have the door serviced or replaced. When to Repair and When to Replace This brings up the next important topic. How do you know when it’s better to repair the door or replace it? Although the easy answer may appear to be a quick evaluation of the cost of each option, there’s more to consider. Ask your contractor to provide an honest evaluation of door springs, tracks, rollers and hardware. Have the contractor also test the opener, safety sensors and the reversing mechanism. If any of these items will require repair or replacement in the next few years, consider those inevitable costs as well. A well-maintained door system can last for decades, but the life expectancy is greatly reduced if it is neglected. This can be a little like buying a used car, in that you must deal with someone else’s problems until you replace it with a new one. New Garage Door Opener and Accessories Sometimes total door replacement is not the most effective approach, but replacing the automatic door opener IS. Today’s opener systems are greatly improved over those of even a decade ago. If the door itself is in good shape and operating safely, ask your contractor about openers and other accessories. The biggest vulnerability in automatic openers is worn gears, which is not an easy condition to diagnose if you don’t know what to look for. New models are affordable and offer many safety and convenience features that weren’t available in the past. If your current system does not have the important safety features (reversing and obstruction sensors), or if it lacks battery backup, consider investing in a new system. The best way to determine whether to repair or replace your door and opener is to consult a licensed garage door contractor in your area. A locally owned and operated contractor will have the knowledge and experience to identify your needs and to work within your budget. Trust only a licensed contractor to assist you, whether you choose repair or garage door replacement for your home.
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