The Perfect Garage Door Replacement Panels

Garage door replacement panels are an attractive alternative when it just isn’t in your budget to buy a whole new garage door or when there are special circumstances that require a repair, retrofit or upgrade but not a complete replacement. Since one damaged panel can ruin the look of your entire door (and if extreme enough might even negatively impact the door’s operation and the energy efficiency of the entire garage) a replacement panel is often the ideal solution.

Consider the door insulation R value

Even if the garage door is in good repair, swapping out existing door panels with higher “R-Value” insulated replacements is typically well worth the investment. A good rule of thumb to follow is to match the panel replacement’s “R-Value” (at minimum a 12 on the standard scale is recommended) to the R-Value of the rest of your home.
Garage door insulation is an effective way to get the most use from your garage and improve the overall energy efficiency of the entire property. Bottom line—you will save significant amounts of money on heating and cooling bills! There are insulation kits available that enable the DIYer do to the job themselves—but it is also worthwhile to investigate having a professional installation done by the supplier of your replacement panels.

Whatever your reason—from functional to aesthetic considerations, replacement garage door panels are increasingly available in more colors, materials and styles than ever before, Depending on the material your garage door is made from, you can combine a repair job with a significant “eye appeal” upgrade AND improve your energy consumption all at the same time.

 Measure twice, buy replacement panels once

Any decision to swap out the existing garage door panels with replacements should begin with a careful evaluation of the scope of the project. Identify the features you intend to incorporate with your upgrade or repair and you will simplify your search for the best type of replacement for the job. You must be sure to shop for replacement panels that will work with your existing rail and garage door opening systems—you may be limited by size, weight and lift capacities of the existing hardware and mechanisms.

In general, panels constructed from metal—ideally insulated dual layer steel– are the best and most cost effective replacement option. Steel is durable and secure, not subject to rust or rot and eliminates the maintenance headaches of wooden panels. A recent innovation is the fiberglass composite door—which is lightweight and resistant to rot and mildew—but may not provide the same level of security and energy efficiency as either steel or wood.

Depending on the style of garage door, panels often slide into and out of the rails making the removal and replacement of one or two panels an ideal job suited for the DIY inclined homeowner.

You may have to remove several panels to replace one

Replacement begins by detaching the hinge from both sides of the panel being taken out. You may then slide the panel out of its rails. It should be noted that depending on the style of door it may be necessary to remove several garage door panels to get to those that require replacement. This fact may impact your decision of whether to do the work yourself or opt for professional installation.

Once the old panel has been removed, reverse the process by sliding the new panel into the track and tightening the bolts or screws holding it in place. Attach the hinges and you are done!

By understanding your options and clearly defining what you want, it is easy to find the perfect garage door replacement panels. Further you can potentially reduce your cash outlay for the project by researching any available tax credits available on energy efficiency upgrades and never forget in the case of damaged panels, to check out any existing warranty on your original door.