Garage Door Help!

[eldirector]

I've never had an overhead door apart, so I don't really know where to start with this!

The door on our attached garage is a 2-bay (wide) door. Each panel is made from 2 formed aluminum sheets with a foam core. Looks like the sheets are somehow crimped together top and bottom long the length of the panel. Well, this crimp has come apart on the top of one of the panels, and the aluminum bows out enough to catch the header when the door is raised. Stops the door cold, and it cannot be lifted the rest of the way unless someone pushes the panel flat again.

It doesn't look like I'll be able to re-join the front and rear sheets of the panel with the door on the track. So, a couple of questions:
- how hard is it to disassemble an overhead door? I've never dealt with the spring, but the rest looks like nuts and bolts.
- Any idea how the panel can be fixed?
- CAN it be fixed, or is the door finally falling apart? It is an "inexpensive" door, and about 15 years old or so.

Any ideas or advice? I'll likely tear into it this weekend.

 

[PassnThru]

I would think that the simplest fix would be to sink a screw through the loose part if it has some structure behind it to keep it straight. Failing supporting structure, a carriage bolt or two completely through the door (with perhaps a rubber washer on the outside) to keep the skins together. I don't think that would be too noticeable on the top panel if you painted the head the color of the door. Otherwise, you will have to release the spring (doable but very dangerous - if it's a double you have two springs under lots of pressure) and just pull and replace the top panel and then rewind the springs. Again - not a complicated procedure but the springs can put a hurting on you if you fail to release the tension in a slow, controlled manner.