Garage Door Section Replacement: A Step-by-Step Guide by Fort Lauderdale’s Expert Technician

As a garage door technician in Fort Lauderdale, FL, we know that garage doors play a significant role in keeping our homes secure and enhancing the curb appeal of our property. However, there comes a time when sections of the garage door or garage door section need to be replaced due to various reasons such as wear and tear, damage from weather conditions, or even accidental damage. 

I frequently replace damaged sections caused by cars bumping into garages. It's not uncommon for the bottom two sections to sustain damage when a car hits the garage at a slow speed. 

If you find yourself in this situation, don't worry - I'm here to help! Just give Unity Garage Door Repair & Installation a call, and I'll be happy to come out and assess the damage.
From there, I can replace the damaged sections and have your garage door looking as good as new in no time.

Replacing garage door sections may seem like a daunting task, but with the right tools, equipment, and expertise, it can be done with ease.
In this article, we will take you through the step-by-step process of how to replace sections on a garage door.

First and foremost, it's essential to identify the manufacturer of the garage door, popular manufacturers in South East Florida are Amarr and Clopay. Then take measurements of the defective section, including color, style, and hurricane rating. With this information, we can order the required section from the manufacturer and schedule the replacement.
Usually Unity Garage Door Repair & Installation carries in stock sections for 16X7, 8X7 and 9X7 garage door, short panel design, white color. 

Once we have the new section, we begin by releasing the tension of the garage door springs to lay the door as flat as possible on the ground in the garage opening. Next, we remove the screws from the hinges and remove garage door brackets that hold the second and third sections together, and then roll up sections three and four from the vertical track to the back of the horizontal track.

This action leaves us with the two garage door sections that we want to replace in the opening. We then remove the hinges that connect the two sections and proceed to take the side hinge with the roller out, slide the section out of the track, and carry it to the side of the garage. We disconnect the metal cable from the bottom section, take out the side hinge and bottom bracket with the rollers, and slide the bottom section out of the track.

With the damaged section removed, we place it on sawhorses and take off the metal struts connected to it. We do the same on the second section and then dispose of the defected garage door sections. We then take the new bottom section, place it on the sawhorse, connect the metal struts into place, and add the center hinge and the hinge and bracket only on one side with the rollers in them.

We then place the section in the garage opening by sliding the roller into the vertical track, followed by the hinge and bracket with the roller on the other side, with the roller in the track, and now we have the first new section in place. We repeat the same process for the second new garage door section, ensuring that the two sections are aligned and sitting square with each other.

Once the two new sections are in place, we slide sections three and four back down the track and connect the hinges between the sections together, and the whole door is now in place. We then reconnect the metal cable back to the bottom section and put the right side metal cable into the drum above the door. We ensure that the cable is tight and then lock it in place using a vise grip. We repeat the same process for the left side metal cable.

Finally, we go to the garage door spring in the center above the door and start to put back the tension in the garage door torsion spring system. We put seven and a quarter turns on the spring. The door is now working with the two new sections in place.

However, in some cases, the new sections may differ in shade from the original sections due to the fading of the original color over time. In such instances, we recommend that homeowners get a painter to match the new and old sections' color for a uniform look.

In conclusion, replacing garage door sections the same as new garage door installation, requires skill, experience, and expertise, and it's not something that homeowners should attempt to do themselves. At Unity Garage Door Repair & Installation our garage door repair company in Fort Lauderdale, FL, we have a team of professionals who are well-equipped to handle garage door installation, repair, and replacement.