Garage & Garage Door Services in Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia Garage Doors

The garage door is most likely the largest moving component of your home. Whether it is manually or automatically operated, one that functions poorly is literally one of the biggest problems a house can have. Knowing what problems are worth fixing, and which might be better solved by replacement is important, and getting the two confused could end up costing you more money than you needed to spend.

Minor Maintenance
While any door in the house might need a bit of oil every now and then, a Philadelphia garage door is often required to withstand many adverse conditions such as sleet, snow, and rain. Keeping it running smoothly, therefore, might require some maintenance. An experienced do-it-yourselfer might be able to do many of the repairs necessary to keep a garage door running at top efficiency for quite some time, but even if you don't know much about how it works, there are a few things anyone can do to help keep your garage door in good condition.

First off, a clean door is a happy door. The winter creates a lot of slush and grime in Philadelphia. Garage doors should be wiped down about twice a year (in southeastern PA, one of these times should be in early spring) to keep any dirt or grit from seeping into areas it shouldn't. It is also important to lubricate all the moving parts of your door every once in a while with oil or an aerosol lubricant to prevent squeaking (though nylon rollers should not be lubricated).

You should also perform a visual check of your door's components periodically to identify small problems before they become large ones. Check your rollers for broken wheels and bent shafts and examine the door and track to make sure you don't have any loose bolts or screws. Check to make sure that the track is not bent (especially for homes with new drivers), as this can cause much larger problems if left unattended.

When to Replace
If your door was installed many years ago, you may want to have it replaced (or at the very least checked out) because of a safety issue that was changed by law in 1993. Some older doors pose a danger to vehicles, pets, and small children because they do not reverse or stop soon enough when they hit an object while closing.

In Philadelphia, garage doors that are connected to a living area or those that house a workspace as well as a car might be replaced because they don't provide a significant amount of insulation during the winter months. Doors and tracks that have been severely damaged might also require partial or even complete replacement.

When looking for a new garage door in Philadelphia, it is important to find one that suits the needs of your household. If you or any of your family spends a lot of time in the garage, you'll want to get a door with a higher R-value to keep cold air at bay. In most cases, Philadelphians should also opt for a door that locks to reduce the risk of any uninvited guests.

Prices
While certainly prices will vary depending on the model and size of the door you choose, on average, to install a brand new garage door, Philadelphians should expect a bill in the neighborhood of $1,000 to $1,500 (though, for higher end work, $2,000 is not uncommon). Repairs are usually in the $300 or $400 range, but can sometimes go as high as $700. Repairs and installations are generally finished in a day or two.