Is your old, outdated or beat-up garage door ready for replacement? Not so fast! Did you know you can recover your existing garage door frame with new, aluminum panels – and cover the wooden door frame alongside it for a complete package? We recommend installing aluminum panels over your existing, wood garage door frame to protect its lifetime and to save yourself valuable lifetime maintenance energy.
Protect Your Garage Door Frame With Aluminum
Here are the four best reasons why we recommend covering garage door frames with aluminum if they aren’t already.
Aluminum is versatile and there are multiple styles and colors to choose from
Aluminum is a lightweight metal and can be easily stamped into a variety of shapes and patterns. Thus, you have a wide range of style options to choose from – ranging from traditional-style panels with lots of raised embellishments and borders to more modern, flat-panel options that create a sleek and streamlined look. Typically, the aluminum panels used to protect your garage door frame are simple and designed to match your garage door, and you have the option to choose additional styles if you prefer.
Most often, these sheets come in 2-foot x 8-foot or 2-foot x 10-foot options and are fabricated to accommodate the lintel and jambs. Installing them can be a DIY job, but we recommend hiring professionals. If you damage, dent or bend the panels in any way during your installation, you’ll have to pay for a replacement. Professionals know how to install them quickly and expertly, and can make any modifications necessary to amend their fit. And, if they happen to damage a panel during the installation, the professional garage door installers will be the ones paying for the replacement.
It’s easy to maintain
Wood garage doors are beautiful, but they are also vulnerable to moisture, weather, and pest damage. As a result, they are considered the high-maintenance garage door option. Aluminum, on the other hand, can be painted any color you want, and are virtually zero-maintenance. This is the main reason why aluminum garage door frame panels are becoming more popular. Now, you have the same ease of maintenance for the original wood frame as you do for your garage door.
Assuming you spray them down a couple of times a year, to remove dust and debris and wash away any evidence of mold or mildew spots, your low- to no-maintenance aluminum panels will last for decades. Aluminum doors don’t fade or rust – which means you won’t need to repaint them at all unless you’re interested in changing the color to match an exterior home update.
If you are interested in repainting your existing garage doors, check out, Repainting Your Garage Door, which provides step-by-step instructions.
Protect the Life of Your Garage Door Frame
Similarly, covering your garage door frame with aluminum panels protects the life of the frame itself. Your door’s wood frame is easy to neglect and because of its exposure to the elements, especially when the garage door is open, it is also more vulnerable to peeling paint, rotting wood, mold or mildew, and pest infestations.
Once the aluminum panels are installed over the existing frame, they act as a shield, protecting the wood beneath from the environment, which means fewer repair and replacement costs over the years.
Improve your home’s curb appeal
Your new aluminum garage door frame immediately boosts your home’s curb appeal. As mentioned above, the finish on your aluminum garage door panels is virtually impervious, which means it never peels, chips or cracks. The same is not the case for traditional, wood garage door frames.
If your garage door is west- or south-facing (with more sun exposure) or is on the side of the house that seems to get the most wind – and, therefore, the most driving rain – you are an especially good candidate for using aluminum garage door frame covers. There is no more worry of paint fading, peeling, cracking, or chipping that diminishes your home’s curb appeal.
Bonus Benefit: You have a driver who’s hard on the frame
Do you have a driver in your house who is hard on the frame? Do the kids seem to knock or scrape their bikes, skateboards, toys and sporting equipment on the existing frame when they move them in and out of the garage? Your door frame will thank you for an extra protective layer that protects the wood below from permanent damage.
Ready to Cover Your Garage Door Frame In Aluminum?
Are you ready to move forward with your plan to cover your garage door frame in aluminum? Contact us here at R&S Vallejo. We have decades of experience behind us and work diligently with Vallejo-area homeowners and residents to find the garage door and frame styles that are best suited to your architecture and the garage’s use. Give us a call at 707-644-5537 to start the conversation.
