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Small dents on your garage door may not significantly impact its appearance.
But numerous small dents do.
Even more so if the dents that your garage door sustained are large and severe.
If you have an extensively dented garage door, one of the things you can try is DIY garage door dent repair.
Non-experts like you can troubleshoot a dented garage door panel.
Even if you don’t have the technical skills, you can try fixing your damaged door.
However, if you cannot restore the original condition of your door panels, contact Cleveland Garage Door Pros.
Our technicians are highly skilled in providing garage door repair in Cleveland.
We can also professionally replace your damaged panels or install a new garage door.
Don’t neglect your garage door repair needs in Cleveland and contact us now!
What Causes Garage Door Dents?
Steel garage doors don’t easily break.
However, they can suffer from dents and damages if you don’t properly maintain them.
One of the most common causes of dented garage doors is accidents.
Minor impacts from animals, sports balls, hailstones, and other solid objects can leave your door with a small indentation.
On the other hand, strong forces from collisions can result in extremely dented panels, if not broken.
Examples of these accidents include when you hit your garage door with your car or a tree falls onto your door.
In any event, you can try resolving the dents on your door with DIY garage door dent repair.
Using a Small Mallet
You can take advantage of the malleability of your metal garage door, and use a mallet to restore your dented door panel.
- Wash the damaged area of your garage door panel with a sponge and dish soap solution.
Make sure that you thoroughly clean the area to rid it of dirt and grime.
- Move to the opposite side of the depression and position a block of wood over the dent.
- Gently tap the dented surface with a mallet until you see that the dent has flattened out.
Using Heat And Compressed Air
Heating metal objects allow you to manipulate their shape and form.
This method precisely rests on this premise.
By adding heat and force through the compressed air, your garage door should be back to its normal form.
- Wash your garage door panel using water, dish soap, and a sponge.
- After cleaning, allow the dented portion of your door to dry completely before continuing.
- Cut a piece of aluminum foil such that it can cover the entire dented surface.
Use tape to stick the foil onto the panel.
- Place your lighter over the aluminum foil for about a minute.
The lighter should immediately heat the foil and, consequently, the dented panel.
Make sure that you’ve applied heat all over the dented surface.
- Remove the foil.
- Immediately spray a can of compressed air onto the dent for half a minute.
Apply the condensed air with the can upside down.
- You should notice that the depression on your door panel is popping to its original configuration.
Using Auto Body Filler
You can utilize this method if your garage door suffers from deep depressions.
- As usual, wash the dented surface first to remove dirt and debris that could impede your dent repair.
After cleaning, let the area dry out completely.
- With sandpaper of the appropriate range of grit, sand the dented surface.
- Next, blow the resulting dust away. You can also use a brush to eliminate the dust.
- Spread the auto body filler with a putty knife on the garage door depression.
- Leave the area for about 30 minutes to an hour to ensure that the compound is completely dry.
- Sand the dried-up filler using sandpaper with a finer grit.
Make sure that the surface is flat and level.
- Apply a primer and paint on the area so that it matches your garage door.
Conclusion
DIY garage door dent repair is ideal if you’re looking for a cost-effective way to remove depressions on your panel.
However, not all garage door damages can be restored by repair.
In severe cases, you may need to replace the damaged panels or your entire garage door.
Our technicians at Cleveland Garage Door Pros can help you with those services.
We work with many known brands, so we can find the perfect replacement panels for your dented garage doors.
Call us now, and let our team handle your garage door repair in Cleveland.
