Skip to Content

Can You Fix a Broken Garage Door? (Explained)

A broken garage door might be a great concern for most garage owners. You might have an old garage door already damaged and recently broken. It might have been injured differently, and you should never try to open it like before.

It’s a good thing to install a quality garage door so that it can last for years and will be there to serve your purpose. If you use it carefully, it will be enough to secure your garage for decades.

Fixing a broken garage door

You can fix a broken garage door by hiring a garage door professional or using your DIY skills. If your garage door has dents & scratches, you should remove them with cleaning tips. When you break your garage door accidentally, you must hire a professional & repair the door or use your skills.

Fixing a broken garage door is always a real challenge for you unless you have enough skills and experience to do that.

The garage door is not like your house door; in most cases, the garage doors are automated, and it has some unique mechanism that will make them different. So, people don’t take risks to fix their broken garage doors.

They always pick the option of replacing the broken or largely damaged garage door. If the garage door is broken severely, you won’t fix it since the parts will be different and attaching them will be nearly impossible.

You can only replace & repair the extra part of your broken door, but the entire door can’t be fixed.

You need first to identify the broken part and the intensity of that part. If you think the broken garage door can be repaired, you should follow my given tips & repair it accordingly.

Otherwise, you will require to replace the broken garage part that people mostly do. They don’t take any risk of using the broken & damaged garage part.

In that sense, people might say that you cannot fix your broken garage door and that it needs an urgent replacement.

If that’s the case, you should keep it simple & go for a direct replacement. Apart from that, you must follow a tip to open your broken garage door since you cannot treat it like a regular door.

If you make any other mistake of opening the damaged door, it will become worse, and it will be difficult to change them entirely.

Another consideration should be the repairing cost & installment cost of a new garage door. Since your garage door is broken, you must consider the repair cost.

If the cost is higher than a new garage door, you should go for a replacement other than repairing the existing one.

It will be your best choice and give a long-term solution without taking any risks. However, the regular or small broken garage door could be repaired for several hundred bucks.

Another concern would be the garage door sections since there might be several sections of your garage door.

If one or two sections of your garage door get broken, you can repair or replace them instead of replacing the whole garage door. It will be another cost-saving way if you know how to replace a particular section.

You can get a glimpse of ideas from different online sites, but the repairing should be done by a professional.

If you have experience in replacing or repairing garage door sections, you may follow my tips and go through step-by-step guidelines to get a clear picture of how to do it safely.

You can use your DIY skills to replace one side of your garage door and the entire part alone. I will give you the guidelines & tips to open and repair your broken garage door.

If you need an emergency replacement, you should ask the brand who will give you the free installation services.

Can you replace just one section of a garage door?

You can replace just one garage door section since they can be detached easily. Your garage door will have different sections or at least two parts from where you can easily take off one part. Then, if you have a broken section, you should try to repair it first by yourself.

If the broken section gets seriously damaged, you must go for a direct replacement other than hiring a professional to repair the broken section.

Once you replace one particular broken area of your garage door will give you a long time of service, but don’t forget to check the other section.

You will have a different set of entire garage doors where you can buy them as a set or buy any individual part from a door shop. You should contact your previous seller and ask them if they have any perfect sections for your garage door.

If you find them trustworthy, you can get a new section from there; otherwise, go for a new shop and buy the damaged area.

How much to fix a broken garage door?

It will cost around $150 to $375 to fix a broken garage door, although the cost might differ due to the intense damage.

If your broken garage door has some minor issues, it will take 150 bucks to repair it; otherwise, the serious damage to your broken garage might cost you around 500 dollars.

However, the entire process would be different if it had severe damage and the repair is impossible. In that case, you need to replace the entire garage door.

In that case, the cost would go up and become $500-$1000 or more depending on your garage door quality and other perspectives.

I’d suggest you go for an entire garage door replacement if both sides of the door are broken. Otherwise, you can replace one section of the broken garage door and repair the other section if it has minor damages.

Whatever you do, the ultimate cost will depend on the broken intensity and your existing garage types.

How to fix a broken garage door?

You can fix a broken garage door by the following steps. Let’s fix that accordingly.

Fixing Panel:

The panels on the garage door may need to be fixed if, for instance, someone has kicked a ball at the door.

If, on the other hand, someone drives into the door accidentally at a low speed or if, for example, a ride-on mower collides with the door, it is possible that replacing the damaged panel is the preferable course of action.

To remove the ding from the door, first, place a piece of two-by-four lumber on the side of the door that has been raised, and then tap it with a rubber mallet. Using vehicle body filler is another option for repairing a small dent.

First, sand the affected area.

Next, combine the stuffing and the hardener and apply them to the dent. After allowing it to dry, you should sand it once more, wipe away the dust. If the dent is more significant and the door panel needs to be replaced.

Fixing Springs:

Garage door springs do wear down over time, but unlike other problems with garage doors, which appear out of nowhere, you may be able to predict this one because the door will become more difficult for you to lift or the opener will have a more challenging time doing its job.

To successfully replace garage door springs, you will require springs of the same type as those now installed, in addition to springs of the same length.

If you are unsure of your ability to complete this repair independently, it is best to hire an expert. This is a job for an experienced do-it-yourselfer.

How to open broken garage door from outside?

You can open your broken garage door from the outside using the tips.

Emergency Release Kit:

Look for it near the center of the door. In addition, you’ll need to have the key corresponding to it. The release mechanism will be activated by pulling on this cable, and your door will transition into manual mode.

Release the Lock:

A second lock adjacent to the door’s handle is responsible for keeping the door locked in its closed position. Unlock the door with your key, then turn the handle so it is perpendicular to the door.

Raise the Threshold:

Before driving your vehicle inside the garage, ensure the door can be opened by pulling it up vertically with your hands and that it remains open.

Put the Door Back:

Once you’re safely inside, bring the garage door to the ground and draw it down to the closed position.

Final Thoughts

Although it’s not possible to fix a broken garage door, you can sometimes fix your broken garage door. You should consider the repairing cost and the replacement cost. Then, you can decide which is feasible for you and which way you should go. If repairing is possible, you should go for it.