Dallas weather swings hard. Summers bring long stretches of triple-digit heat, spring delivers severe thunderstorms with large hail, and the occasional winter freeze can be serious, as the February 2021 storm proved. Underneath it all sits the region's expansive clay soil, which swells when wet and shrinks when dry.
Every one of those conditions shows up in garage doors. Below is a practical guide to what fails in garages across the city and suburbs such as Richardson, Garland and Irving, and how to hire help after a storm.
Clay soil, settling slabs and doors that won't seal
North Texas sits on clay that expands and contracts with moisture, the same soil movement behind so many foundation problems in the area. As a slab or the garage framing shifts, the opening can go out of square. The result is a gap at one end of the bottom seal, a door that rubs on one side, or vertical tracks that are no longer parallel.
A technician can often compensate by adjusting the tracks, fitting a thicker bottom seal or resetting the door's travel limits. If the opening has moved a lot, have the foundation evaluated before investing in a new door, or the same problem will return.
Hail and storm damage
North Texas sees damaging hailstorms most springs, and an uninsulated steel door can be covered in dents after a single storm. Thunderstorm winds also strain the door, especially the 16-foot doors common on two-car garages.
When the storm passes, take pictures and run the door through a full cycle. If the panels are only dented, it may keep working while you deal with your insurer; if a section is creased or the door binds, stop using it. Should you end up replacing it, an insulated door with a heavier steel skin or a composite face shrugs off hail far better.
Heat and the opener
A dark door facing west can turn a garage into an oven by late afternoon. Heat wears out opener circuit boards and plastic gears, dries out lubricant and shortens the life of backup batteries. Low sun hitting the safety sensors can also make the door reverse at certain times of day.
An insulated door, a lighter color and an opener with a DC motor and soft start all help. If your opener is old, loud or unreliable, a modern belt-drive unit with Wi-Fi monitoring usually costs less over time than repeated repairs.
Alley-entry garages
Many Dallas neighborhoods and suburbs are laid out with alleys, so the garage faces the back of the lot. A rear-entry door is out of sight from the street, which makes it easy to forget, and an open one invites theft. A smart opener with open-door alerts and an automatic close timer is one of the most useful upgrades for an alley garage.
Alley approaches are often tight, too, and doors there take hits from vehicles turning in. Bent bottom sections and knocked-out tracks are the usual result.
Hiring help after a big storm
After a major hailstorm, door-to-door crews and flyers tend to appear in the hardest-hit neighborhoods, and not every one of them will be around later to honor a warranty. Before you sign anything, confirm the company is licensed, bonded and insured, and get a written estimate that spells out the door model, the parts and the labor.
Be cautious with anyone who pushes you to sign on the spot or whose price jumps once they see the door. If your door still opens and closes, there is usually time for a second opinion before you commit to a replacement.
Last updated by the American Garage Door Team.