A garage door is a functional part of your home, and for a vast majority of the time it does exactly what it is designed to do, it keeps your vehicle and property secure against theft, intrusion and the elements.
There is something else of course, as well as the functional side of things; we all like to have our property looking good, well maintained, and clean, it gives us a sense of pride and adds value to our homes. A dented garage door changes that.
It might be the result of a driving error, a stray football or even the elements. Dents, even minor ones tend to be very noticeable, can lead to rust damage in steel or aluminium doors, along with security problems and inevitable frowns from the neighbours and passers-by. The first reaction may well be to start thinking about a new garage door, however, if the dent is minor, and you are confident and relatively competent at fixing things yourself, then the good news is there is a way to remove dents.
If you aren’t too sure and perhaps feel much more comfortable contacting a professional for advice then please do so, caution is needed and we cannot be held responsible for mishaps, as mentioned above if in doubt, get in touch.
What you’ll need
So, assuming you have decided that you’re confident and competent to have a go at fixing your dented garage door; in preparation, you’ll need a few things ready beforehand.
· A clean sponge
· A bucket of soapy water (luke-warm is fine, with a dash of washing up liquid)
· A clean, dry absorbent cloth
· Protective gloves and glasses (just to be safe, you can never be too careful)
· A hose or clean water source (to completely remove the soapy water residue)
· Aluminium foil (a large enough piece to comfortably cover the dent, heavy duty is best)
· A heat source (a lighter is ideal)
· A can of compressed air (available from most stationary shops)
What to do
Firstly, choose a day when dry weather is forecast, the door needs to be dry as well as perfectly clean for this technique to work well.
Now the dent and surrounding area need to be clean, spotlessly clean, so get to work with your sponge and soapy water and clean the area well.
Next rinse off all the suds and residue carefully, and dry the area with your cloth, when this is done and you’re happy, give it a further 60 minutes to air dry (this is why you need a dry day).
Now you’re ready for the interesting part, the aim of this part is to gently and evenly warm the damaged area, then quickly cool it. The goal is to simply pop the dent out of your garage door. Holding the edge of your aluminium foil, ensure it is covering the dented area, and then with your lighter lit (and your gloves and goggles on) evenly warm the outside of the foil around the damaged area for 60 seconds.
Finally, after 60 seconds of heating promptly put your foil and lighter to one side, well out of the way and take your air canister and holding it upside down, spray the dented area, when the can is used upside down, Carbon Dioxide will be released, and that’s exactly what is needed, to quickly chill the area and, hopefully pop the dent straight out, instantly or within a couple of minutes.
Expert advice
If the dent is stubborn, or if you’re unsure about performing this yourself, don’t hesitate; get in touch today with SDM Garage Doors for professional advice.
