When it comes to maintaining your garage door, fewer things are more irritating than having to deal with garage door rust buildup. Depending on the material of your door and the amount of outdoor moisture that your garage door encounters, you may even be dealing with this problem frequently.
The professionals at Precision Garage Door Service® are here to help with comprehensive advice on how to deal with this problem and prevent it from occurring in the future.
Why You Should Get Rid of Garage Door Rust Right Away
If there’s rust on your garage door, we don’t recommend letting it linger. Rust is more than an unsightly inconvenience. It can affect the overall operation of your garage door’s system and even cause damage to other parts. Below are a few of many reasons why we recommend taking action right away:
Below are a few of many reasons why we recommend taking action right away:
- Structural damage: Garage door rust weakens your door and can eventually produce cracks or holes. This can lead to issues with part failure.
- Operational issues: If the parts in your garage door’s system have also rusted, it can cause excess noise, along with problems opening and closing your door.
- Altered garage door appearance: Rust can easily spread to other parts of your door. Smaller unaddressed rust spots can eventually turn into larger ones, decreasing your home’s curb appeal and even value.
Garage Door Rust on Different Door Materials
Some garage door materials are more prone to rusting than others. Here’s what you need to know about each common material and its tendency to rust:
- Steel: Steel garage doors, the most popular material type, can rust, but are much less likely to do so when you apply a coating to them. With protective coating, they can hold up to a variety of weather conditions.
- Wood: Given that wood is not a metal, it cannot rust, but parts can. Instead, wood garage doors can be prone to rotting or decaying in conditions of excess moisture.
- Faux wood: Faux wood doors that have steel components should be treated with a protective coating to prevent rust.
- Vinyl: Vinyl garage doors do not contain metal elements and therefore cannot rust.
- Full-view aluminum: While aluminum garage doors are rust-resistant, they can nevertheless rust and may need to be coated. This is especially true if you live in a coastal or otherwise moisture-filled area.
How to Eliminate Garage Door Rust
If your garage door has already rusted in some places, all hope may not be lost as garage door rust can be treated in some cases. The garage door professionals at Precision will evaluate this for you, and if possible, take great care to restore your garage door to a functioning state. Our trained professionals use the following process:
- Clean the dirt off your door to ensure that the debris doesn’t contribute to your door’s rust buildup.
- Scrub away any rust on your door.
- Apply a rust converter to both prevent rusting and prime your door for a new coating.
- Paint or coat your garage door to prevent rust buildup.
In cases of severe rust accumulation, complete garage door replacement may be necessary. Contact a Precision pro near you for more information.
How to Prevent Garage Door Rust
Preventing garage door rust buildup is easier than you may think when you use professionals for your garage door’s maintenance needs. Here are some of the ways that you can minimize your maintenance tasks while enlisting the help of a garage door professional:
- Paint or coating: Do you live in a humid or wet area that makes you nervous about rust accumulating on your garage door? Consider having a professional apply paint or a special coating to your door. Both are designed to help your door weather the outdoor elements and can increase its lifespan with occasional reapplication.
- Regular cleaning: Debris encourages rust to form on your garage door. Cleaning your door with a mild detergent, water, and a soft cloth regularly can help deter that process.
- Lubrication: If your door is rusting, it’s likely that your door’s parts are as well. To avoid rust accrual on your garage door parts, keep your rollers and hinges properly lubricated through regular tune-ups.
- Garage door tune-ups: Don’t put off those garage door tune-ups. They are an important part of your door’s upkeep. During a tune-up, your garage door professional will lubricate your garage door, make sure that your door is free of the debris that may cause rust, and more.
Let Our Pros Get Rid of Your Garage Door Rust
Your garage door is a significant purchase that’s worth the upkeep. Trust the pros at Precision to help prolong the life of your garage door. To learn more about our rust treatment, garage door tune-ups, and other applicable services, call our experts at (877) 301-7474.
