Everyone today is interested in making their money go further and that common sense notion extends to homeowners in Toronto. More homeowners than ever are making sure the various components of their homes are properly serviced and maintained to glean maximum value and life out of them. That includes the garage door. The average garage door has a lifespan of about 10,000 open/close cycles before it needs to be replaced. But many home improvement ‘experts’ claim that a number is simply a marketing tool and that if you provide your garage door proper maintenance you’ll never need new overhead garage door replacement. Are they right?

Is New Garage Door Installation Just a Marketing Ploy?

Some firmly believe that by taking proper care of your garage door you can extend its life indefinitely. Their method for doing so seems to include:

• -Having the door regularly serviced.
• -Not using the door unnecessarily.
• -Replacing worn-out parts when called for.
• -Not giving up on the door prematurely.
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The thinking seems to be that people have been conditioned to believe they need new garage door installation when their door just needs a little attention. This attitude, while perhaps understandable on some level, simply ignores the reality on several other levels including:

• The design limits of the various components: Torsion springs are designed to coil and uncoil a certain number of times after which material fatigue sets in and the spring fails. There is no way to get around entropy in this case. Your only option would be to replace the springs repeatedly, and we’ll get into that in a moment.
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• The effect of the environment on materials: If you have regular maintenance performed on your door’s parts you have a good chance of getting the full 10-12 years of life out of them. If you don’t the components will succumb to the environmental onslaught typical in towns like Toronto, Vaughan, and Richmond Hill and you’ll be faced with a malfunctioning door after only a few years.
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• The law of diminishing returns: Some self-proclaimed ‘experts’ claim that you’ll never need a new garage door installation if you simply keep replacing old parts when they break down. This is an interesting idea but it begs the question: what’s the point? What’s the point of trying to make the door last forever by simply replacing parts over and over? Sooner or later the law of diminishing returns kicks in and you’re spending more on keeping the old door operational than it would cost you to simply replace it with a new, more energy-efficient door.
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• Usage patterns: It’s easy to say “Don’t use the door more than you need to” but in reality who does? Most people are reluctant to open their garage door more than they have to and for good reason. Opening the door unnecessarily lets out precious heat. It compromises home security. It invites neighborhood critters to take up residence inside the garage and it defeats the purpose of storing the car away from the elements.
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By all means, every homeowner should make an effort to take proper care of their garage door. But even the best-maintained door will at some point need to be replaced. Smart Doors will work with you to ensure you get every last day of useful service out of your garage door and when the time comes to replace the garage door, we’ll provide you with all the information you need to choose the right door for the future. Call us today to learn more.