How Long Should My New Garage Door Last?

by Zap Garage Doors|7 April, 2022

A new garage door is a fantastic investment, which will keep your property looking neat and sleek for many years to come.

 

And, when it’s maintained regularly and carefully, your garage door will remain in pristine condition for even longer.

 

If you’ve just bought a new garage door, or you’re thinking about making the investment, the question at the forefront of your mind will probably be, ‘how long should a new garage door last?’.

 

Well, the answer will depend on two key points – the type of garage door you have chosen, and whether or not you arrange a maintenance schedule.

 

Below, we’ll be listing the main types of garage door, along with their typical life expectancy. Then, we’ll share our advice for garage door maintenance, to ensure your unit meets (and even exceeds) this predicted lifespan.

 

Roller garage doors

The lifespan of a roller garage door largely depends on its constituent components, and how well they are maintained.

 

The springs and rollers of a garage door typically last for around 10-15 years. If you have a programme of garage door maintenance in place, then your parts will reach the longer end of this lifespan.

 

However, the door itself can last much longer than this – around 20-30 years, depending on the material that you’ve used (more on this later). So, if you replace the springs and rollers when required, you can expect your door to last for 30 years, or even longer.

 

Up and over garage doors

As with the other models listed above, up and over garage doors have an average lifespan of between 15-30 years.

 

This large range in prediction is due to a number of factors, namely the climatic conditions that it is kept in, the material that you choose, and how often it is used.

 

Naturally, if your up and over garage door is used very often (for example, it is used in an industrial site), then your garage door is less likely to last for the full 30 years.

 

However, a great way to reduce the likelihood of an early replacement is arranging regular garage door maintenance schedules. This service will include a full service of your door, the replacement of any worn-down parts, and the treatment of key areas, before problems are allowed to develop.

 

Wooden garage doors

As you can imagine, wood has a shorter lifespan than steel, aluminium and other metals. However, you’ll probably be presently surprised by just how long treated wood can last.

 

A wooden garage door will last you around 15-30 years, which is a pretty impressive lifespan!

 

But, as you can see, this prediction can vary considerably. This is due to the fact that it largely depends on the conditions that the wood is kept in, and the treatments that are used on the wooden door.

 

If the wood is left untreated rotting or warping can occur. This would quickly compromise the aesthetics and operation of your garage door.

 

If you buy your wooden garage door from a quality, accredited supplier, then your garage door should come with treatment and warping-prevention features as standard.

 

For example, most wooden garage doors are built of multiple layers, to minimise the risk of warping occurring. In addition, staining and/or painting can help to improve its weather resistance, and so reduce the risk of rotting or discolouration. As a result, these features will help your garage door to reach the full 30 year predicted lifespan.

 

Steel garage doors

Steel is a fantastic material, with remarkable durability and weather resistance. And, to further enhance these properties, most steel garage doors are made to include two layers of galvanised steel.

 

As a result, steel garage doors typically have a lifespan of 20-30 years.

 

The main issue that requires property owners to replace their steel garage doors is rust. Steel is particularly prone to rust, which makes a regular treatment service invaluable.

 

Another popular option steel garage doors is the addition of fibreglass panels. Fibreglass panels are durable, and provide the property with a very high level of thermal insulation. However, they can break if they incur a very high level of impact. But, in general day-to-day use this level of force shouldn’t be reached.

 

Aluminium garage doors

As with steel, aluminium garage doors are renowned for their durability, weather resistance and long-lasting finish. As a result, aluminium garage doors have a long average lifespan of 20-30 years.

 

The main issue that can prevent aluminium garage doors from reaching this lifespan is dents. But, if treated with care, this problem can easily be avoided.

 

The best ways to extend the lifespan of a garage door

  • Choose a high quality garage door model
  • Invest in garage door maintenance services
  • Choose a vetted, accredited and experienced garage door installer
  • Don’t use excessive force when operating the garage door
  • Check for signs of wear and tear on key parts – such as tension springs, and rollers
  • Regularly lubricate the door’s working parts
  • Clean the doors regularly, to prevent rust or rot from building up
  • When possible, keep the area surrounding the internal side of the door well ventilated

When should I replace my garage door?

If your garage door is displaying any of these key signs, then this suggests that the door has reached the end of its lifespan:

  • The door isn’t working correctly, and a repair specialist cannot fix the problem
  • Extensive rust is preventing the door from operating correctly
  • The door is sagging
  • The door is extremely slow to operate, or has become excessively noisy
  • If you have a wooden garage door, and you see that the wood is cracked, dramatically warped, or damaged beyond repair
  • If you have a steel or aluminium garage door, and you see major dents that prevent the door from operating as it should

See more in our ‘Repair or Replace?‘ blog post.

The importance of regular garage door maintenance and servicing

As we mentioned earlier, garage door maintenance schedules are a fantastic way to keep your door performing in top condition, for as long as possible.

 

By keeping your garage door maintained and serviced regularly, you can ensure that:

  • Any faulty parts are replaced quickly
  • Rust is prevented from escalating in metal garage doors
  • Wooden garage doors are protected against rotting and warping
  • You are advised about how well you are maintaining your garage doors
  • Problem areas are tackled before they are allowed to develop
  • The garage door lifespan is kept as high as possible

At ZAP Garage Doors, we have extensive experience supplying, installing and servicing garage doors of all materials and types. With full accreditation and extensive industry expertise, you can trust our team to keep your garage door working at peak performance for many years to come.

 

So, if you would like to find out more about the benefits of garage door maintenance, or enlist our services for your property, contact our team of garage door specialists.

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