Having a garage at your home can be beneficial for storing your vehicles, enjoying side hobbies, and having extra household storage space. To protect the items inside your garage, having well-functioning garage doors is essential. As with any product for your home, it’s important to understand the warranties that come along with garage doors. We’ll discuss the warranties below to provide you with a basic understanding of how they work.
Manufacturer Warranty
Each garage door typically comes with three different types of warranties. One of the most important is the manufacturer’s warranty that covers the door sections themselves. If your door panels have paint or finish defects such as cracking, splitting, or warping, they are typically covered under warranty.
If there is any manufacturing flaw in the material or rusting through of the panel, the manufacturer’s warranty will normally cover it. Your garage door’s manufacturer’s warranty typically doesn’t cover damage from storms, hail, wind, or falling objects. If you happen to hit your panel with your vehicle or misuse your garage door, the repairs are typically not covered under warranty.
It’s important to know that the warranty coverage period will depend highly on the material used to construct your garage door panels. Typically, garage door panels made of steel or aluminum come with a lifetime warranty. However, wood garage door panels typically have a shorter warranty period because of their natural expansion and contraction properties.
Hardware Warranty
The next type of warranty is a hardware warranty, which covers things like springs, rollers, hinges, and tracks. A typical hardware warranty will cover material or workmanship defects in the mechanical components of your garage door. With Idaho’s cold climate conditions, it’s common for metal components to contract and weaken over time. A hardware warranty can help cover issues like broken cables, pulleys, and extension springs.
There are particular instances where repairs may not be covered under a hardware warranty. This includes breakage of the material due to a lack of routine maintenance or damage caused by attempting to lift a jammed garage door. If these components are rusted or corroded due to neglected lubrication, their repair likely won’t be covered under your warranty.
Opener and Electronics Warranty
The third layer of garage door warranties falls underneath the opener and electronics warranty. This typically covers the motor and belt or chain drive, circuit boards, internal electronics, and safety sensors. This warranty covers defects in these components and typically lasts anywhere between one to five years.
Just as with any warranty coverage, there are particular exclusions you need to know. Any damage caused by lightning strikes or power surges typically isn’t covered. If there’s improper wiring due to a DIY installation, that’s typically not covered either.
The Importance of Professional Installation
One of the most important things to keep in mind when it comes to all three warranties is that they typically require professional door installation. Most require an authorized and licensed installer who gives you proof of the installation for your warranty claim to be properly submitted and approved.
If you opt for installing your door’s many components by yourself, you likely will void the warranty coverage before it gets started. Garage door manufacturers know that the proper functioning of their doors highly depends on correct balancing and tension calibration during door installation. If you try a DIY on a garage door, it’s likely you won’t have the appropriate tools and knowledge to ensure adequate balancing and tension.
Protecting Your Garage Door’s Warranty Plans
As an Idaho homeowner, it’s important to take proactive steps to maintain the warranty on your garage door. This goes beyond having a professional install it for you. It’s essential to have annual maintenance performed on your door by one of our licensed garage door professionals to maintain the warranty coverage on the door system.
Without proof of this annual maintenance service, the door manufacturer may deny your warranty claims for lack of proper door maintenance. Additionally, it’s essential to seek out prompt repair service whenever you do experience a garage door issue. Waiting to get repairs could lead to more damage that may not be covered due to your failure to respond in a reasonable timeframe.
Expert Garage Door Repair Service
Legacy Garage Doors offers expert garage door repair services for the Boise, ID area. We can also assist with all your garage door installation, replacement, and repair needs. Contact our office today to book your next appointment with one of our helpful garage door professionals.
