I accidentally backed into my garage door! What do I do now?

Perhaps you had a bad morning. You woke up late, couldn’t brush your hair right, and your kids spilled food on the table. You may not have even had time for coffee. You’re in a hurry, rushing to get the kids to school and yourself to work. You finally gather your things, get in your car, and start heading out…and then BAM! You hit your garage door. You forgot to open it, and now it has a huge dent. Perhaps it’s hanging off the hinge! You might need a moment to calm down after the flurry of a bad day. However, after you’ve cleared your head, what can you do to fix the door?

Another possible disaster could occur during the harshest of winter seasons, when you are trying to safely drive on roads that are slick with ice and snow. You turn into your driveway, and then your tires slip on the ground, causing you to fly right into the front of your garage door! Or perhaps you are pulling into your garage and you have forgotten about the bike rack on top. Yikes! There are several ways that you could potentially damage your garage door. What can be done to fix it?

It depends on how much damage was done.

The most common type of garage door accident is when damage is done to the bottom half of the door. This is the sport that can get hit most by cars and other obstacles. If you have an electric garage door opener, it can most likely lift your door completely. On average, standard garage door openers are strong enough to pull over 350 lb., or 160 kilos. But just because it can lift this much does not mean it should do so on a daily basis. Allow your garage door to pull its usual weight of 8 to 10 lbs. or 3.5-4.5 kilos on a daily basis.

Before you attempt to move or open your door, it is important to assess the situation thoroughly. Check the rollers to make sure they are in their tracks and properly attached. Are the lifting cables still aligned? Take caution and do not touch any of the parts of the lifting system. The bracket, lifting cable and springs are under extremely high tension, which can be equal to the weight of the entire garage door. Please do not touch them under any circumstances!

If the damage does not seem too bad, you can then work to get your car out of the garage. Once your car is at a safe distance away, you can check to see if the remote garage door opener is working. Before you test it, make sure you are standing at least 8 feet or 2.5 meters away from the door. Push the button on your remote to see how it affects the garage door. If you hear loud noises, crunching sounds, or if you see that certain parts are not working, unplug your garage door opener immediately. Make sure to take away all connection to electrical power, and make sure to not touch anything.

If the door has come out of the tracks completely:

If your garage door has been removed from its tracks, there is little that you can do without a garage door specialist. Continue not to touch anything, and wait until you can get in contact with a specialist. Preferably, you should contact the specialist who installed your garage door opener, as they will know it best. Until the garage is fixed, you’ll want to make sure to call an Uber or a friend to drive you to work.

Is it necessary to call my insurance company?

If your garage door is very seriously damaged, it may be necessary to call your insurance company. If your car has been damaged at all, make sure to contact your car’s insurance company to see what you can do. Your car insurance company does not cover the damage done to the garage door, and vice versa.

Make sure you take a good look at your insurance deductibles before you give them a call. It may not be worth it to open a claim if you have to pay too much out of pocket. Sometimes, it’s better to just handle it on your own.

How much will it cost to repair my garage door?

If your garage door is old enough that its replacement sections are no longer sold, it may cost more to fix it. The cost of repair depends on how badly it was damaged. If you need your entire system replaced, it can take up to 2.5 hours of labor to fix the whole thing.

If you just need to fix one or two sections, it typically matches the price of a four-section door divided by four. However, your biggest cost will be labor. If the door is broken, it must be completely taken apart and re-installed, which will make your labor costs go up.

I think I need to replace the entire garage door!

If you feel you need to replace the entire door, feel free to contact us at any time at 705-322-0136. We have very professional knowledge of garage doors and the entire industry. We can even send you a free quote by email.

We will happily come to your home as well to explain our services. We can also send someone to assess the damage done to your door. You can also use our design center or take a look at our image gallery to design a new door and get inspiration.