If you've had the same garage door for decades now and it no longer performs up to your standards, a replacement may be something to get ready for. If you've never carried out a replacement before, here are some tricks that can prevent complications. 

Talk to a Garage Door Expert One Last Time Before Replacement

Just before you schedule a garage door replacement with a company, take one last opportunity to have the existing door professionally inspected. You want to exhaust all repair options first before you replace a garage door. 

A licensed garage door contractor can examine the garage door and parts related to it, including the track, opener, and sensors. If severe problems are present and repairs for them aren't financially worth it, the contractor may recommend a replacement. You can then get something in the books with a replacement company.

Have Frame Rot Addressed Professionally if It's Present 

In order to enjoy a smooth garage door replacement, the garage door's framing should be free of rot. If it's not, then make sure you have it fixed so that structural issues don't surface after the new door is set up. 

Frame rot is something to let a licensed repair contractor fix. They can quickly scrape away the rot and fill in voids with wood filler, giving you a complete frame once again. The repaired frame will support your new garage door perfectly after it's installed by a company.

Assemble Garage Door Panels in Order

Residential garage doors usually come shipped in individual panels, which you'll need to assemble in order. Not only is it important to do so for the aesthetics of a new garage door, but also to ensure the door performs correctly for many years to come. 

Fortunately, the manufacturer that made the garage door should have detailed instructions explaining which panels to set up first on your property. Each panel will also be labeled and thus make it easy to determine which components to start with first. Follow these instructions to the letter and you can easily achieve level results. 

Installing a new garage door on your property may have been needed for a long time now, whether it's because of old age or severe structural damage. If you take your time seeing where parts are supposed to go and use the appropriate tools, you can complete garage door installation quickly without stressful complications showing up in the future. 

If you don't feel comfortable installing a garage door, call a garage door installation professional.