Monroeville sits in the hills east of Pittsburgh, where steep lots, winding streets and lots of homes built in the decades after World War II shape the garage doors people own. Basement garages tucked under the house are common, as are attached two-car garages on newer streets.
Western Pennsylvania weather does the rest: snow, road salt, repeated freeze-thaw cycles and humid summers. Here's what that means for doors in Monroeville, Plum, Murrysville and Penn Hills, and how to decide between fixing a door and replacing it.
Basement garages on sloped lots
On hillside homes the garage is often at basement level, with the driveway sloping down to it. Water, slush and road salt run straight toward the door, so the bottom seal and lowest section rot or rust first.
Basement garages also tend to have limited headroom because the floor joists of the house are right overhead. Low-headroom track and wall-mounted openers are the usual answers when one of these doors is replaced.
Because these garages share walls with finished basements, an insulated door with tight seals keeps the lower level warmer and drier.
Freeze-thaw, salt and the bottom panel
Snowmelt that refreezes overnight can lock the bottom seal to the slab and pry at the lowest panel when the opener pulls. Salt dripping from cars lands exactly where steel is most vulnerable.
A good winter habit is to keep the threshold clear, rinse the lower section during thaws and replace any seal that has gone hard or split. A badly rusted bottom section can sometimes be replaced on its own if the model is still made.
When a repair stops paying off
A repair makes sense when the panels are sound and one part has failed. Replacement starts to win out in situations like these.
- Several sections are dented, cracked or rusted through.
- The door is a discontinued model and parts can't be matched.
- It has needed several repairs in a short span.
- It is uninsulated and the garage adjoins living space.
- You want a new style to go with other exterior updates.
Coordinating a garage door with a new entry door
Some homeowners plan a garage door replacement at the same time as new entry doors or siding. The garage door covers a large part of the front of the house, so choosing its color and style alongside the entry door gives a consistent look.
Bring a sample or photo of the new front door when you pick a garage door. Many manufacturers offer matching colors, window patterns and decorative hardware across their product lines.
A word on spring safety
Most doors in the area use torsion springs mounted above the opening. They are wound under high tension and can cause serious injury if they let go suddenly, so adjusting, unwinding or replacing them is work for a trained technician. When a loud bang is followed by a door that won't budge, a spring has almost certainly broken: leave the door closed and call.
Last updated by the American Garage Door Team.