How to Fix a Dented Garage Door

There’s no real, quantifiable measurement in a first impression, but there’s a definitive truth behind the curb appeal of a home.  Potential home buyers are deeply affected by their first impression of a house, and just like a small rock throwing off the traction of a speeding bicycle, things can go completely sideways if they spot something amiss in your home – like a dented garage door.

So, grab your tools (you’ll need a wooden block, a rubber mallet, fine-grit sandpaper, a putty knife, patching material, and paint for this first method) because it’s finally time to tackle that dent in your garage door, the one that can make or break a first impression.

Using a Rubber Mallet to Fix a Dented Garage Door

The good news is that fixing your dented garage is a simple task, one that hardly demands the expert skills of a professional handyman and chances are, you probably already have the required tools lying around your house.  This is the mallet method, a tried-and-true way of smoothing out your garage door’s dented surface.

Your first step involves thoroughly cleaning the dented area and allowing it to fully dry.  Use warm water and detergent to wipe away dust, dirt, and grime, and then dry the area off with a towel or by letting it air dry.  Next, take your wooden block over the dented area and tap it with your rubber mallet to even out the dented surface.

It won’t be perfect, but your rubber mallet should knock out the main offending dent.  The fine-grit sandpaper will take care of the rest.  Use the fine-grit sandpaper to even out the area.  Now, it’s time to get out your patching material, like a compound or auto body filler.  You’ll be covering the dented, sanded area with this material, layering it on to fill in the dents to make it smooth once again.

Apply your patching material with your putty knife to ensure it goes on even and smooth.  Don’t be shy about applying a thick layer of patching material over your dented area because you will be sanding it down again to level it.  It’s better to have more material on the area than not enough.  After letting the area dry completely (read the manufacturer’s instructions on the packaging to see how long you should let the area dry), grab a fresh sheet of fine-grit sandpaper once again and get sanding.  The area is now filled in and level with the rest of the door.

The final touches of this method are simple: primer and paint.  You’ll just need a paintbrush, the primer, the paint that matches the color of your door, and finally, time to let the layers dry in between.  Once completed, you won’t be able to tell the garage door was ever dented in the first place—a job well done.

Fix Your Dented Garage Door with Compressed Air

The mallet method does present a lot of time and arguably, more work than most of us want to do to fix a dent in our garage door.  There is another method, but it may require you to go out of your way to get a compressed air canister if you don’t have one at your convenience.  The compressed air method is much faster and allows you to fix most garage door dents in under ten minutes.

The compressed air method starts the same.  Use warm water and detergent to wash the dented area of your garage door clean, and then allow it to dry completely.  This is important: have all of your supplies ready to go because you’ll need to act fast for this to work.

Within reach, have ready:

• Aluminum foil (a piece large enough to cover the dent)
• A heat source (a lighter will work just fine)
• Compressed air canister

Place the piece of aluminum foil over the dent making sure that it covers the entire area.  Using your heat source, heat the aluminum foil evenly for about a minute.  Next, after the piece of foil has gotten nice and hot, remove it, and quickly spray the dent with your compressed air canister, upside down for half of a minute.

Watch as that dent disappears due to the dramatic temperature difference between the compressed air’s liquid carbon dioxide mixed with your heat source, forcing the dent to pop back into place.  It should take anywhere from one to two minutes.

Keep in mind that the compressed air method may not work on particularly large or stubborn dents, and you may have to enact the good old-fashioned mallet method instead.  If anything, the compressed air method is worth a shot because of how little effort and time it takes to remove a dent, and if it works, consider it an all-around win.

What to Do When You Can’t Do-It-Yourself

In the event you can’t fix the dent on your garage door yourself, there’s always the option of calling the professionals.  Garage door companies specialize in dent repairs, door replacements, and resolving commonly experienced garage door opening system problems.

Replacement doors are surprisingly affordable so don’t lose hope when either method falls short of fixing the dent. For the best garage door replacement in the Midwest, Feldco has you covered. Start your replacement project today with a free quote online and see why over 400,000 homeowners trust us.