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Garage door replacement panels
Replacing panels may be required if the section the garage door is dented, bent, or broken. To find spare segments for garage doors, you need to record a few characteristics. Here’s a set of things you’ll need to write down before you try to buy removable garage door panels.
Sizes of Garage Door Panels
Replaceable sections of garage doors are selected individually. The width of your door panels is the main parameter that you should pay attention to. Never measure the opening of a garage door; this does not always correspond to the actual size of the panels. Most interchangeable panels are standard sizes, but there are sometimes exceptions. Be extremely accurate in your measurements!
Then evaluate the height of your garage door segment. Standard heights are 18, 21, and 24 inches. Be sure to use a ruler to pinpoint your height.
Finally, you need to evaluate the thickness of the garage doors. The most typical door thicknesses are only 2 inches or 1 1/3 inches but vary by manufacturer and model.
Panel Brands
There are many manufacturers in the garage door industry. Trying to find removable door segments, try to find the sticker of the manufacturer. This label or sticker is almost always found on any panel, in the area of rollers and tracks. Most labels indicate manufacturer, version, size, color, and serial number. If you cannot find the nameplate, try talking to the company where you bought the doorway.
Special sizes
Your final action in finding panels for replacing garage doors is to order another brand. Even if your replacement department might not match the rest of the panels, it should be in working condition.
To achieve this, you need to take style measurements. Starting on the left side of this doorway, control the tape measure across the entire width of this section. Measure to the middle of each metal structure (in which the hinges are drilled), including the style of the end. The following is an overview of the various qualities of garage door panels.
- Width – measure the panel from one end of the door to the other.
- Height – measure the height of the panel. (18 ″, 21 ″ or 24 ″)
- Thickness – 1 3/8 ″ or 2 ″ thickness is the most common.
- Color – white, sandstone (clay), desert brown, almonds, brown, evergreen, gray
- Model – Find the model of the door, if possible. Uninsulated, vinyl back insulation or double-sided steel? Raised panel, carriage house, or pad?
- Brand – Locate the sticker or label on the door.
- Type of joints – tongue and groove or flap (step form).
- Intermediate or lower — the lower panels usually have a lower seal, but the intermediate sections do not.
Having all this data, you can order the panel yourself in the online store or contact the company engaged in the production of panels in your region.
Garage door panels repair
What damage do the garage door sections have? You can accidentally drop into them by car, leave a dent with a baseball, or just drop something on them.
If the damage is significant, the only way out is to replace the damaged panel. But if it’s just a dent, you can save money and figure it out on your own.
Tools that you will need to remove dents can be found in any garage or purchased at the nearest hardware store.
The main thing that you will need to repair a dent in the aluminum sections of the gate:
- Bucket with water
- Soap for washing dishes
- Sponge
- Aluminum foil
- Standard lighter or hairdryer
- Compressed air cylinder
Learn more about How To Fix A Dented Garage Door.
Wooden garage door panels
Wooden garage doors are amazing when they are in good condition, but they are also subject to changes in weather conditions that can ruin smooth wooden panels. You can take steps to fix the garage door without even having to order an expensive replacement door.
Corrective action for a damaged or damaged door panel
As a rule, wooden panels of garage doors begin to show damage from insects or water, but you can learn to repair various damage to door panels.
Necessary tools and materials
You will need:
- Hammer
- Utility knife
- Oscillating cutting tool (recommended)
- Finish nails
- Caulking
- Chisel
- Flathead screwdriver
- Wood saw to cut a new piece of panel
- Paint and primer
- Wood hardener
- ¼” lauan plywood or other thin hardwood material
Proceed to repair the wooden panel
- Start cutting a quarter circle on the inside of the door using a multi-purpose knife or, better, using an oscillating tool until all four trim elements are removed
- When a quarter of the round is excluded from the borders of the inside of this panel, you can knock the board with a hammer (beats from the outside inward, since you did not remove the quarter from the outside)
- When the panel is removed, you can use the chisel to clean and level the place where the panel was previously installed
- Then apply hardener to the area you just smoothed before installing a new part of the area. This measure can help protect the wood from water penetration in the long run
- If you need to reduce the new part of the board (plywood), cut it to size with a saw, if any, or buy immediately the right size
- Draw and crop a new piece of panel
- Insert a prepared piece of the panel into the hole and use the end nails to attach a quarter circle through the inside of the panel to secure it in place
- Seals around this panel for added protection
- Finally, tint all areas that require this, the panel should be ready to work.
How to replace garage door panels
If your garage door panel needs to be replaced, here’s how to do it:
- Purchase a replacement panel as recommended above.
- Close the door of your garage.
- Disconnect the garage door opener and remove the springs.
- Use a winch to push the panels away and give you enough space to dismantle the broken ones.
- Use the vise handles to lock the panels in the open position.
- Disconnect the corresponding panels from the hinges together with the hinge mounts with which they are attached to the rails.
- Remove the panel mounting hinges.
Dismantling is done. Now you just have to follow the above instructions in the reverse order: hold the panels separately, screw on the new ones, and then attach them to the hinges and the guide,then return the spring and you can use the door.