A Guide to Garage Door Storm Damage

British weather is notoriously difficult to predict, and it’s not unusual to experience a sudden storm at any time of the year. Most garage doors are built to last and will make it through these rough patches mostly unscathed. However, a particularly violent storm can result in serious damage, either due to the strong winds themselves or by heavy objects being blown directly into them.

In this article, we will show you what to do should your garage doors be damaged as the result of a storm.

Typical Garage Door Storm Damage

Damage from a storm tends to fall into three broad categories: impact damage to the panels, broken opening mechanisms and malfunctioning electric garage door openers – this is how they can affect your garage door:

Impact damage

Usually caused by things being blown against your garage doors, this covers everything from minor dings, scratches and abrasions to major dents that bend or even crack the panels. Even minor damage should be properly inspected to prevent it from getting worse over time.

Opening mechanism.

Sometimes, impact damage can result in your garage door failing to open or close. A bent or broken panel may not slide smoothly onto the runners. Sometimes, dust or grit can get blown into the mechanism, clogging it up and causing it to jam. If the storm is particularly bad, it can even cause the cables or tension springs to snap.

Electric Door Openers

While less common, if the storm causes a power cut or a short circuit in your property, any electric door opener might end up permanently damaged – this could be a result of its circuits being overloaded or simply being knocked out of sync with its transponder key or fob.

What to do if Your Garage Door has been Damaged by a Storm

The first thing you should do is take photographs of the damage – this will be useful when explaining the problem to a garage door repair company and when making a claim for the repair costs against your insurance provider. Find out how extensive the damage is, particularly whether the door still operates or is completely jammed. 

Fixing a damaged garage door requires the right skills, tools and experience to complete successfully, so you should always instruct trained professionals if you’ve never tackled this kind of job before.

Garage Door Storm Damage Costs

The cost of repairing your garage door after a storm depends on the extent of the damage incurred and how long the door will take to fix. If you hire a professional local garage door repair company, they will be able to assess the damage and provide you with an accurate quote.

Does Insurance Cover Garage Door Storm Damage?

Whether your insurance covers the costs of repairing or replacing a storm-damaged garage door depends entirely on the wording of your policy. Most comprehensive cover packages will include storm damage as one of the things they pay out for, but be sure to confirm with your insurer before submitting your claim.

Garage Door Storm Damage: Final Thoughts

Here in the South West, we’re no strangers to stormy weather conditions. If you live in the Dorset or Devon area and your garage doors have suffered storm damage, get in touch with Alliance Garage Doors today. Based in Newton Abbott, we are a name you can trust for fast and effective garage door repairs. Call the team today on 0800 328 1930 or 07760 784 283 to see what we can do for you.