Garage door

My garage door is shot (wood) and needs to be replaced. I had my wife call around to several garage places for quotes. 2 came today saying garage is custom size and will cost $5k for everything (insulated panels) including new rails. My garage is NOT custom. It’s the same cookie cutter sized garage door as all the other homes in the neighborhood except for the newer phase 4 section which got a little bit taller garage ceiling height. I found one on CL for $200 that is just aluminum and needs cleaning (really dirty). Can’t I just use those? Door size is correct so I assume it should line up right with the rails. Anyone think it should be fine or am I really that screwed?

I was not there for the reps visit. Work. My wife called and told me. Plus they said everything on the floor of the garage must be removed which would suck big time if the is the case. 

Have you actually measured your door?

STM317 said:

Have you actually measured your door?

Of course. 21 X 7

Is this a garage door, or a "garage" door?  In other words, how often does it go up and down?  Is it operated by a garage door opener, or is it manually operated?

If it's exactly the right size, I'd go for the used aluminum door option assuming that all the hardware is present and in good shape.  Careful application of a pressure washer and a soap/bleach solution should clean it right up.  Keep in mind you may have to finagle the fit a little.  How comfortable are you with the installation?

21x7 definitely sounds like a custom size to me. Around here, a standard 2 car door is 16x7, or maybe 16x8. Your door is obviously quite a bit larger than that, and would presumably need some heavier duty components as a result. Especially if you're considering replacing it with another wooden door.

Anyway, if you found panels that will fit it might make sense to buy them. But, the uninsulated aluminum is going to be a lot lighter than a wooden door is so there might be some issues with the springs unless they can be properly adjusted or replaced.

Garage doors are one of the few things my dad has done by someone else, and he taught construction trades for 30+ years and does literally every other type of home repair himself.  He says it's because they are extremely fiddly, though to get right and somewhat dangerous to work on (particularly the springs).  That said, $5k seems ridiculous.  We had ours replaced (admittedly, non-insulted and smaller) for about 1/2 that.  

I had my 16x7 (or was it 16x8?) wood door with aluminum when I had doors put in my shop. The wood door was psychotically heavy.  One time one of the cables broke, and the door could not be lifted.  Then a spring broke a year or two later.

There are three things where I "Pay the man:"

Garage Doors

Concrete Slabs

Carpet

I installed all 6 of the 8x10 ones in my storage building over a lazy weekend. There's a lot of hardware involved and the springs are a bit of a hassle to wind, but it's certainly a job a careful homeowner can do.

I'd check your big box stores for a new one as a baseline before I bought used.  I'd also price out the kits to add insulation to a non-insulated door so you can factor that in.  In the case of my storage building buying insulated doors vs uninsulated plus an insulation kit would only have saved me @$200 for the entire building,  so given that it's not heated now I skipped it on the doors and will add insulation later if I decide to heat it.

In reply to Sine_Qua_Non :

Buy it!  Stack it up on assembly ( go on line and see how simple it really is).  and if you are worried about the springs call around for a service call price. 

I already bought it an hour ago. Going to try and find a licensed handyman to take care of the springs removal/ installing it back on if I can find one do it. 

I apologize, I did not find a more recent post, but decided not to create a new topic: the question is how to fix the garage door: the opening mechanism does not work. I don’t know what the reason is... [ but maybe it has to do with the canoe I jammed into it a month later]

Look at the springs (assuming typical round wound springs). They are broken if not completely cylindrical and consistent the whole length. Rust that is obviously a different color is also a smoking gun.

Replacing that torsion spring could be hazardous to your teeth, be careful.

Sine, is all the hardware of your old door still good?  Hinges, latch etc.  What would it take to reproduce the current door using wood, 1 X 4 framing, plywood center and use the old hardware.  I have tension springs on my 3 doors, two doors are aluminum and one wood.  If the spring snaps I can easily replace it, not so much with the torsion.  Oh, yeah, if you use the tension spring with eyes at each end, don't forget the cable through the center.  I was in the garage when one broke, sounded like a shotgun and exited the place at high speed.  It could easily take out a windshield or crack a wrist.

You know you have to put up pictures, right?