If you’ve ever sought garage door repair for a dent, you may have been told replacement is the best option. The initial reaction was likely shock. Garage doors aren’t cheap to install. However, it is possible to repair a garage door dent to restore its appearance without breaking the bank.
In fact, fixing dents in your garage door is not that difficult. It can also help maintain curb appeal. Potential home buyers may be turned off by damaged garage doors, as they can hint at other forms of neglect.
How to Repair a Garage Door Dent
If you’re wondering how to repair a dent yourself, these tips are for you. They’re broken down into two different ways you can approach DIY garage door repair.
- The Cool Method: For this, you probably have everything at home. You’ll need a wooden block, putty knife, rubber mallet, and fine-grit sandpaper. To complete the job, you’ll also require a patching material and some paint and primer. Once you have what you need:
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- Wash the affected section with warm water and a detergent.
- Once dry, place a wood block over the dent and tap it with the mallet.
- When the dent is pushed back, sand the area to make it even.
- Cover the area with patching material, evening it out with a putty knife.
- Sand again once the patching material is dry.
- Apply a primer to the area, and then let dry.
- Paint the area to match the surrounding material.
- The Hot Method: To fix your garage door dent, you’ll now need some alternative tools, including compressed air and a heat source, as well as some aluminum foil. Like before, the area must be washed thoroughly with warm water and detergent. Once it is dry, then you can proceed.
- Place a strip of aluminum foil directly over the dented metal.
- Heat up the foil with a heat source, making sure to do so evenly.
- Hold the heat source in place for one minute.
- Remove the foil, then spray the dent with compressed air (the air should be held upside down for 30 seconds).
These are both fast ways to repair a dent. If successful, you will have a garage door that looks like new. However, such methods don’t always fully remedy the problem. Stubborn dents can be hard to fix, which means you’ll have to call in a professional to help.
Professional Garage Door Repair in Long Beach
Garage door dents should not be left alone. While they may not look particularly serious, they can lead to corrosion and even further damage. Professional garage door technicians have a range of equipment that you may not be familiar with nor trained to use properly. Their experience enables them to identify underlying problems and determine how to repair them. Repair jobs can get done quickly, effectively, and correctly, avoiding potential mistakes in DIY work that could cost you.
Precision Door Service of Long Beach offers 24/7 emergency service. You can therefore reach us any time. Our Long Beach technicians can perform any type of repair, providing a free written estimate to start, and then a walk-through of the repair once we’re done. All work is backed by a limited lifetime warranty that covers defects in workmanship and materials when you receive repairs or new or rebuilt parts.
To learn more about how we can repair your garage door dents, call Precision Door Service of Long Beach today at 562-222-3505.