A garage door holds more significance than just being a practical entryway for your vehicle. It forms a crucial part of your home’s exterior aesthetics, deserving ample attention and admiration. However, if your door becomes warped, it can mar the entire appearance of your Fort Myers home.
Rather than presenting a fresh and well-maintained look, a warped garage door imparts an aged and neglected impression. Besides the unattractive visual impact, a warped door can give rise to functional and safety concerns.
If you remain unconvinced about the urgency of addressing a warped garage door, let’s delve into the fundamentals of this condition specifically for Fort Myers residents.
What Causes Your Garage Door to Bow?
Why does bowing occur? Before rushing to blame the garage door manufacturer or demanding a refund for a flawed product, it’s important to consider the possible causes. Unless your door is brand-new, bowing is unlikely to be a factory defect. Certain garage doors are more prone to bowing than others. For example, dark-colored doors exposed to direct sunlight and larger doors are more susceptible compared to lighter, smaller ones.
Extreme temperature differences between the interior and exterior spaces are typically responsible for garage door bowing. When one side of the door experiences intense heat while the other side remains cold, a wooden or insulated door can start to warp. In most cases, the door will bow or curve toward the hotter temperature area.
Bowing can occur across the entire solid door or within a specific panel. It’s important to note that minor temperature fluctuations between the inside and outside of a garage door are normal and expected. Under typical circumstances, a door shouldn’t experience significant bowing. However, when the temperature range becomes considerably wider, this type of warping can begin.
Why is Repairing a Bowing Door Essential?
The most obvious reason to repair a bowing garage door is its negative impact on aesthetics. The warped door or section isn’t visually appealing. Whether it personally bothers you, your neighbors are making comments, or you’re trying to sell your Fort Myers home, this issue can drastically affect curb appeal.
However, the appearance of your door is not the only reason to address the problem. Even a slightly bowed door, let alone a severely warped one, can impede its smooth operation. Garage doors are designed as flat panels for a reason – to effortlessly slide up and down, fitting perfectly within your garage opening. Bowing alters the door’s shape, making opening and closing challenging.
A warped door is prone to sticking, compromising safety and security.
How to Fix a Bowing Door?
If your garage door is bowing, simply leaving it alone is not the solution. Even a minor bow can lead to issues, and the longer you use a warped door, the more mechanical problems it can cause. Hence, it is absolutely crucial to address the issue sooner rather than later.
The specific repair approach required for your garage door depends on its characteristics and the extent of the problem. In some cases, a complete reinstall may be necessary, depending on the severity of the issue. If only specific panels are bowing, a paneled door might not require full replacement.
An experienced garage door technician can remove the warped panel and replace it, ensuring a seamless look. If the bowing is minimal, sanding down the affected panel may suffice. Subsequently, repainting the entire door would be necessary to maintain consistency.
Additionally, a garage door repair expert can help prevent future bowing issues. Installing struts on the door adds extra stability, reducing the risk of bowing.
If your Fort Myers garage door is bowing, reach out to Fort Myers Garage Door Repair for further assistance.
