New Garage Door Problems

12thban

Servicing the Santa Clarita Valley Since 1993

A Shocking Fact Based on Our Experience: 20% of New Garage Doors Are Installed with Obvious Manufacturer Defects

Garage door companies often try to hide and not disclose them. An alarming percentage of the time garage door companies receive products from manufacturers that possess significant damage. Often these flaws are unnoticeable to the homeowner. Unfortunately, damage and defects can lead to premature malfunctions that the manufacturer may refuse to cover under warranty. Often, rather than take the time to hassle with manufacturers to solve these problems, garage door companies will try to cover up manufacturer mistakes and install the doors anyway. Based on our experience, approximately 20 percent of garage doors that are installed have significant manufacturer damage or defects that homeowners were not made aware of.

What Should You Demand from the Installer and Manufacturer?

You, as the homeowner, should demand that the door you pay for is free from damage and defects. Your garage door installer should assist you by inspecting the door and drawing any potential problems to your attention. In addition, he should demand replacement parts from the manufacturer on your behalf. Insist on this from the installer before you agree to buy.

Five Damaged Garage Door Horror Stories

#1. Upon installing a garage door,  there were numerous scratches on every panel. We contacted the manufacturer and asked for a rep to come inspect the door. The rep told us that the door came from a shipment of doors headed for delivery that had been on a truck that overturned on the freeway. Somehow this turned out to be the one and only door that was accidentally placed back in stock.

#2. We received a garage door with windows that had a pattern of scratches. It was obvious this section had been manufactured previously and there had been some difficulty with the jig that cut the glass. The manufacturer’s solution was to use touch-up paint. Eventually, after countless demands, the manufacturer provided a replacement for this section of the door.

#3. After installing a top-of-the-line garage door with windows, we noticed it had been touched up. The touch-up paint didn’t match and there were over 100 spots on the top section alone. We complained about the extensive use of touch-up paint. The response we received was that their warehouse could not deliver doors up to our specifications and we should purchase doors from other manufacturers.

#4. We installed a non-insulated sectional door with windows. When installing the door, we discovered that the top section didn’t set properly. The door didn’t touch on the left side as it should. We asked for two new sections and the manufacturer refused. They wanted to repair it. Their representative met us at the job site without the proper tools. Despite this, he tried to fix it. He left and later came back with the proper tools. He worked on it and told us he fixed it. However, the homeowner said nothing had been done and I didn’t see any change. When I loosened the hinges, the door popped back up. All their representative did was to lean on a section to secure it. I told the representative that the problem was not fixed and asked for a new top and intermediate section. He responded, but with only one new section. To solve this dilemma, I had to purchase two new sections at my company’s expense.

#5. A door was delivered to us over an hour late. The driver had dropped the product on the ground and failed to mention it. When we attempted to install it, the door spread apart and the sections were bent. The manufacturer sent us new parts that I had to pay with a promise from them to reimburse us. The manufacturer then claimed that the owner crashed into the door with a car and that voided the warranty. As a result, we were never reimbursed.

How to Solve the Damaged Door Problem

Unfortunately, these stories are commonplace. Similar nightmares can occur with any of the manufacturers. Therefore, the key to avoid a damaged new door isn’t necessarily which manufacturer you choose, although some do tend to be better than others. Make sure you hire a garage door company that will carefully inspect your product and demand that the manufacturer take responsibility for any manufacturing or shipping damage and defects. Valencia Overhead Door always inspects the doors we received and will make sure your door is free from damage and defects.

A few samples of damaged doors we received from manufacturers in October 2010