Have you backed into your garage door and want to know how to fix it? Luckily, you’re in the right place. You’re not the first person to back into their garage, and there are plenty of easy fixes that can help you get your garage door back into tip-top shape.
If you’re wondering how to fix your garage door after hitting it with a car, we’ve got you covered. Follow our simple, step-by-step instructions for what to do when you have a smashed garage door.
Assess the Damage
If you ran or backed into your garage door, you’re probably thinking “I hit my garage door with my car, what do I do?” Your first step is to take a deep breath and assess the damage. After making sure everyone is safe, the first thing you should do is check out the damage from when the car hit the garage door.
An important tip: just look, don’t touch! You could possibly hurt yourself or cause even more damage to your garage door if you try moving or fixing it yourself. Although your door may look okay, using your automatic garage opener or forcing your door open manually could cause permanent damage to the internal system and could cause the door to lose control and come down on you.
Take notes and photos of the damage and make a record of what happened. Then, call experts to assess the damage before doing anything else. It’s less expensive than you think to fix just a dent.
While you’re waiting for help to arrive, assess the damage to your car. You should also notate and photograph any vehicle damage and be careful opening any doors that your vehicle could have impacted. Think about the next steps you might need to take in terms of car repair and insurance.
What’s Wrong With My Door?
You may be curious about what damage occurred if you backed into your closed garage door and what you can do to fix it. Here are a few common scenarios our garage professionals frequently fix:
Your garage door is stuck open: If you hit the garage door while it was being opened or you tried to open it after the accident, it could be stuck. Having a stuck garage door can pose security issues if you have valuables in your garage. One of the best things you can do is contact a garage door expert to get the problem fixed. Even if it’s after hours, most companies have an on-call crew ready to help any time of day or night. Be sure to refrain from manually or automatically trying to open your door, which could cause more damage.
The garage door fell off its track: If you think your garage door got off track, try not to touch it or do anything else until a professional arrives. It could be potentially dangerous to try to fix a garage door that fell off its track. Waiting for an expert to fix it safely is a must.
The bottom of your garage door is bent or crooked: While it may seem like a DIY project, it’s much more complicated than it looks to fix a dent in a garage door. You could likely cause more damage by attempting to fix the dent yourself, resulting in the need to get a brand new door altogether. In this situation, assess the damage and call a professional if it’s anything more than a small bump.
Your automatic opener isn’t working: If your garage door was hit but looks completely normal, you might try to use your garage door opener like normal. If the automatic door opener isn’t working, you may need to contact an expert. There could be something wrong with the entire system in this scenario, so the best thing to do is call an expert to fix it.
Do I Have to Replace a Dented Garage Door or Can I Leave It?
Depending on the amount of damage, your garage door may be safe to use, even with a dent. And if you want to know if you can unbend a garage door, the answer might be yes, depending on how large it is. If the door is only bent or dented a small amount (and you don’t mind the appearance), you might not have to replace it — as long as the tongue and groove (joint) are still lining up correctly.
If this is the case, you should reinforce the damaged panel with a strut to ensure that it doesn’t completely split. If these instructions sound like a different language to you, an expert can help! It’s best to call a garage door professional in any scenario who can assess and fix the damage so you know you’ll be safe.
If two or more panels have larger, more extensive dents, you might want to replace your door altogether. You could also choose to replace each panel individually, which would end up costing almost as much as a new door. If your door is more than five years old and has damage to more than one panel, you’re better off — both financially and in terms of safety — replacing the door.
Replacing a garage door has one of the highest returns on investment for any home improvement. So, if you want to invest in something new, a garage door could be the best option.
Will Insurance Cover Garage Door Repairs?
So, how much does it cost to fix a dented garage door, and will insurance cover it? You’re probably wondering how insurance factors into smashed garage door incidents. If the scenario involved backing your car into the garage door or anything that resulted in damage to your car, you should immediately document the damage and call your auto insurance company.
In addition, if your garage door is heavily damaged, you should contact your home insurance company. Some policies cover dented garage doors and other garage door incidents. You’ll want to ensure you understand what both your homeowner’s and car insurance policies cover for instances like these. It’s essential to call no matter what to ensure that you are utilizing your coverage even if you’re not sure what your policy covers.
Cornwell Door is Here to Help
Don’t fret if you hit your garage door with your car! Cornwell Door is here to help you decide on the best step moving forward. No matter the damage — from a small dent to an unhinged door — we are ready to help at any hour of the day to ensure your safety.
