Montgomery County Maryland Garage Door Replacement Companies Washington DC

It’s time to replace your garage door.  Let’s go over a few things that might be of interest to you as you venture into this new decision.  For the most part, homeowners are inclined to replace their doors because their old door is becoming a personal eye sore, a family member backed into it (rookie driver?) or the ever present HOA has taken away your pool pass till it gets replaced.

Let’s talk about what is involved in this process without getting to technical…The old door gets removed and the new one goes in its place…There, that wasn’t so bad. 

I have had many customers ask me, “So what gets changed out when you replace the door?"  Simple answer, “EVERYTHING".  When a new door goes up, the whole system should get replaced.  That includes the track, hardware, door, and springs.  The old track system will not always accommodate the new door depending on the thickness of the sections, the weight, and spring lift system and ceiling height requirements.  The spring is gauged for the weight of the door and is set depending on the lift requirements.  Many older doors have a duel set of springs called extension springs.  This lift system pulls the door up from two sides using a cable pulley system.  In most cases (depending on headroom available) new doors come standard with torsion springs.  Torsion springs are center mounted on the opening’s header which lifts the door from one point of tension which creates a smooth quiet lift. 

For the do-it-yourselfers out there you must use extreme caution.  Garage doors require a great deal of precision to install and should be installed by professionals, but if you think you have what it takes you must follow the manufacturers’ directions explicitly or you could risk a lot more than just a non-working door.  I have heard of severe injury caused by people who elect to do self installation. This is the largest moving object on your house and the spring tension can be very dangerous if you don’t have experience with such products. If the cables are not set at the same tension before winding the springs, the cables can jump off the drums and potentially jackknife the door in the opening.

The most gratifying part of the whole process is picking out the new door. At this point you can have fun playing with a host different styles you think will look great on the house. The garage door is typically 1/3 of your homes façade so it should be treated accordingly.  A new garage door can add value, beauty and functionality to your home if done right.  Doors come in all kinds of styles and many custom designs to fit any home and any budget.  Go outside and take a look at your home.  Write down aspects of your house you would like to repeat on the new door.  For instance, if you have grids in your existing home’s windows; you should repeat that style in the new garage door.  Some companies such as Fairfax/Gaithersburg Garage Door can even show you all the different styles of garage doors on your house via digital imaging to make sure it fits right with your house. 

When it comes to choosing the door itself, be sure you are getting a quality product.  Doors are available at many different price points and materials, but remember that the cheapest door (or company) is not always the best choice.  You get what you pay for in terms of the product and the company doing the installation.  Make sure you look at the overall value, not just the bottom line.   Insulated three layer doors can provide energy saving throughout the years while providing you a well-made, functional addition to your home

By changing out the entire system, you new door will be set properly from the start.  The old, creaking, wobbling door will be a faint memory, and your quiet new system will run smoothly for years to come.