Why is My Garage Door Rusting?
Your garage door is there to protect your property, both from thieves as well as the elements. It’s a quick and useful way to get access to the things you need most, while still presenting a robust front.
It’s understandable then that, given the rain, snow and wind we get here in the UK, that some older garage doors might be susceptible to rusting. For those in coastal regions, there might also be the added stress of saltwater wreaking havoc on vulnerable materials.
If you’ve noticed reddish-brown patches on your garage door, whether along joints or simply where paint has peeled away, then you’ve got rust. This is very simply where water and air has come into contact with metals containing iron or iron alloys and is a common problem with garage doors since they have to stand up to a lot of rain.
You’ll most commonly find rust on your garage door along the bottom, where more water is likely to sit against your door. It’s mainly older garage doors that are vulnerable to rusting, especially if they were made with poor quality materials or don’t have proper coating to protect them.
How To Remove Garage Door Rust
If your garage door has started to rust, while you can’t fully reverse the damage, you may be able to stem the tide. Simply clean away the rust with white vinegar to create a reaction and gently rub the orange rust away with a steel wool pad.
Once you’ve removed the rust (it will continue to spread if you don’t take care of it all), you will want to clean the door down generally before letting it dry for the next stage. This will allow you to patch up any holes or paint over the affected areas. Ensure you don’t paint over rust as it will simply ruin the look of your door further.
While this might present a quick fix, it won’t solve the issue as a whole. A rusting door is unsightly, but more importantly, it can provide weak spots for thieves to exploit if the rust has spread far enough.
How To Prevent Garage Door Rust
It can be hard to prevent rust for doors lacking the right coating because there will always be moisture – even if it’s not all year round. Your best defence against rust is a garage door material that is either resistant to corrosion or that is well coated.
- GRP garage doors – Glass-reinforced polyester is a great alternative to a metal door if you’re concerned about rust. It’s a fibreglass material that doesn’t corrode.
- ABS garage doors – Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is another material that doesn’t rust, because it’s a versatile thermoplastic.
- Timber garage doors – While wood doesn’t rust – removing that concern altogether – it does need its own special kind of treatment to ensure it stays looking as good as the day it was first installed.
- Steel garage doors – While steel doors still may have the potential to rust, at Doormatic we supply them from leading manufacturers, ensuring the coating can stand up to wear and tear.
In addition to picking the right garage door material for your home, garage door maintenance can help to fend off rust. With professional maintenance for your door, signs of imperfections or issues affecting the functionality of your door can be spotted early and remedied.
Quality Garage Door Materials from Doormatic
Here at Doormatic, we have decades of experience in the garage door industry, providing a range of door styles in a variety of materials to best suit your taste and the conditions your property is subject to. Our specialist team can recommend the right garage door material no matter what you’ve got your heart set on. Alternatively, you can make use of our garage door repair and maintenance services.
Don’t waste time trying to rescue a rusting garage door and don’t put up with subpar materials. Contact us today and get a free quote for your new garage door and get your home back looking its best.
