what to look for in your new exterior door

If you're looking for one of the most effective, yet surprisingly simple DIY home upgrades, you should consider changing the panels to your garage door. Most garage doors have a simple design that has panels mounted within individual frames. This means that the panels can be removed from the frame without much effort. This article explains the process of replacing old garage door panels.

Replacing Panels is Easy

The process for panel replacement is very simple, and many homeowners are surprised to hear that they can do it with just one wrench or screwdriver. It just depends on exactly how your panels are fastened to the frame. Most garage doors have panels that are attached to a handful of easily removed the bolts. When you remove these bolts, the panel will pop right out of the frame. So, this means that homeowners can order replacement panels and install them themselves. Most panels are attached to the frame with bolts, but some will use screws. If this is the case, you can remove them even quicker using a power drill.

Ordering New Panels

You just want to make sure you order your replacement panels directly from the original manufacturer of your garage door. Otherwise, you will need to hire a third-party garage door specialist to build your custom panels. This is really only something you should resort to if you have a big budget, and can't find a product in the catalog that matches your style. Basically, the panels will be delivered directly to your home, and then you can't remove your existing panels. This is definitely a two-man job because you need to hold the panels, so they don't bend or kink. Aluminum and vinyl panels are lightweight, large and flimsy, so you don't want them to bend and break during the installation process.

Of course, since you are probably just going to throw away your old panels, you don't need to be that careful when handling that. However, you want to use caution when installing the new panels, and make sure that you hold them in place until several of the bolts are secured. To speed up the process, do one panel at a time.

Homeowners are often surprised how affordable and easy the panel replacement process is. Doing this job yourself is going to be rewarding and save you a fair amount of money in the end. Contact a company like Affina Door for more information and assistance.