Garage Door Repair?

[krux]

Last winter, my aluminum garage door froze and apparently made a couple of small slices/tears on a couple of panels.

Is it possible for me to put JB weld in these panels, or am I looking at a whole new garage door?

I do have those long supports that run across the whole width of the garage door.

 

[isb cornbinder]

You can put JB weld on anything you like. Will it do anything to make your situation better? Not this time.
When my garage door gave some drama, I called a roll-up-door company and had a new door installed. I suppose, 30 years and thousands of cycles was OK.

 

[unslow1]

Without pics people aren't really going to have much to go on. I'm sure people on here will come up with something for you once they can see what you are dealing with.

 

[rsanter]

The answer is...it depends
How bad and where?
You could do “boat patches” where you epoxy a thin plate or angle in the area because with epoxy a lot depends on the amount of area verses the stress it’s under.

I might even go for something better like a panel bond like used in the modern cars.

There is also the option of pop rivets and even bolts. If done right and painted to hide them it could be made to look ok to great
I have seen people bolt decorative brackets and such onto the typical sectional garage door so that’s one way to hide a repair

 

[unslow1]

They even have garage door skins that can hide pretty much anything.

 

[nadogail]

My considered opinion is “it depends on where the damages are and their size”

 

[rayra]

seconding the need for pics or at least a better description of the location or nature f the damage. A frozen parting is highly unlikely. It's more likely to be some sort of stress fracture grown from some other incidental damage.


House we recently bought appeared to have either a piece of #3 rebar or a 9mm bullet go out thru one of the garage doors. I did a little minor bodywork on it to bend the hole edges inward instead of outward and carefully patched it with bondo. It's primed and waiting on a new color decision for repainting the doors.
2" rigid foam insulation added to the inside of the doors took care of the rest.

 

[krux]

Thanks guys for the feedback.

I'll get pics tomorrow but it's the size of 1/2" or less. Its on one panel. Two years are in the complete top of the garage door panel. The other is on a panel were it bends.

 

[krux]

Alright here are the picture.

One is on top of the panel and the other is outside.

 

[Glemon]

Based on what I am seeing if you get the garage doors back on track and aligned correctly and fix whatever caused the issue and they will probably work functionally for a long time.

If you are worried about how they look you cold try an auto body type repair or reskin them. However, the Bondo repair may crack again, the reskin may require refinishing the whole door to match.

If it were me I would repair functionally and use as is until budget allows replacement, then I would buy a new door and and install it myself. I had a similar issue and just replaced the door panels, not the tracks and springs and other bits. It was pretty easy to do.

 

[krux]

Based on what I am seeing if you get the garage doors back on track and aligned correctly and fix whatever caused the issue and they will probably work functionally for a long time.

If you are worried about how they look you cold try an auto body type repair or reskin them. However, the Bondo repair may crack again, the reskin may require refinishing the whole door to match.

If it were me I would repair functionally and use as is until budget allows replacement, then I would buy a new door and and install it myself. I had a similar issue and just replaced the door panels, not the tracks and springs and other bits. It was pretty easy to do.

Thanks for the feedback. It happened due to the garage door being frozen to the ground one morning. It rained the night before and the temps dropped dramatically. It's been like this probably for a year or so. However, my budget does allow me for a replacement, so I can get an estimate. I just hate to spend money if this is only cosmetic. I do have those full length bars going across the garage door. If didn't at the time, I'm sure this thing would have collapsed.

 

[Glemon]

Well the freezing doesn't sound like any easy fix, any way you can get water to drain away from the bottom of the door?

 

[unslow1]

I've been able to get and replace individual panels on that kind of door. Have you checked to see if that size and style panel is available? They are pretty easy to switch out a panel.

 

[krux]

Well the freezing doesn't sound like any easy fix, any way you can get water to drain away from the bottom of the door?

Fixed it by adding a gutter.

I've been able to get and replace individual panels on that kind of door. Have you checked to see if that size and style panel is available? They are pretty easy to switch out a panel.

I can't find a section as it looks like a whole piece that goes across.

 

[unslow1]

Usually they are sections that go from side to side. They just stack on top of each other and the hinges hold them together.

 

[krux]

Where do buy those panels? My local hardware store sells only the door.

 

[kaymccampbell]

Were that my door, I'd take a dolly and hammer, and gently beat it back into shape. Then I'd touch it up, working some paint into the crack, and call it a victory.

 

[unslow1]

You can Google it or look up garage door suppliers near you. I bought mine at Menards. I would bet you can get them at Home Depot or Lowe's.

 

[The Cobbler]

you could beef up the areas with patch panels pop riveted in place. JB wled will do very little to add structural support

 

[krux]

So it sounds like its not really loss cause. I do have those long 16' braces going across. When it gets warmer out, I try strengthening it with something.

 

[CraigStu]

Were that my door, I'd take a dolly and hammer, and gently beat it back into shape. Then I'd touch it up, working some paint into the crack, and call it a victory.

I'd do the same and then cut a 2x3" piece of aluminum and JB Weld it on the other side. I'd consider it a permanent repair.

 

[jonshonda]

If possible drill holes at the ends of the cracks to stop them from going further, then fill will epoxy of jb weld.

 

[Awag]

It's a stress crack from someone hitting your door with something. It's dented and the panel below it is scratched. If it's been that way for a year It's probably not going to get any worse very quickly.

 

[bwringer]

Contrarian here... the problem here isn't the crack, it's the loss of structural integrity because the thin skin is bent. No matter what you do or how you brace it, the panel will continue to move and get weaker every time the door is operated. It's a highly stressed skin, and any bend will quickly become a crack.

If you can obtain a single panel, I suppose that's one option. The panel below the one with the crack may be compromised as well.

This will just get worse and worse and worse no matter what you try to do to stabilize it, especially if it's a single skin door. You can buy some time if you have to; when this happened to my door (cheapo uninsulated single skin door installed by the previous owner) I braced it with a steel framing stud for a while until I was able to install a new door.

Secondly, if that's not an insulated door, installing a double-skinned insulated door will make a frankly astonishing difference inside the garage. Working in the garage will be far more comfortable in any weather, and the stuff in the garage will last longer. It could be well worth considering an upgrade anyway.