It's not like you actually want to hit something with your car, but if you're going to collide with anything, it might end up being your own garage door. All it takes is a slight miscalculation when maneuvering in your driveway, and before you even realize it has happened, your front or rear fender might be mashed into your garage door. What's the best way to deal with this unfortunate situation?

Remember to Stay Calm

Any collision, even one that happens very slowly and involves a stationary object like a garage door, can be unnerving. It's a jarring experience, so it's important to stay calm. Move your vehicle away from the garage door, as slowly and carefully as you need to. This allows sufficient room to inspect the damage. Remember to activate your parking brake and turn off the engine.

Only Cosmetic Damage

How bad is the damage? It might be little more than some scratches in the paintwork (of both your car and your garage door), and it may be a case of no harm, no foul. The damage might be so minor as to be nothing more than cosmetic and won't affect the functionality of either your vehicle or your garage door. Repairs (or a fresh coat of paint) may be necessary, but won't necessarily be urgent. Of course, you might not have gotten off quite so lightly.

Possible Damaged Components

Inspect the damage, paying particular attention to the garage door's rollers and springs, whether its vertical and/or horizontal tracks have buckled, as well as the door panel that absorbed the impact of the collision. Pull on the quick disconnect door arm, and see if you can manually open and close the door. This will give you an idea of the degree of any damage without potentially damaging your automatic garage door opener's engine. Don't attempt to force the door, as you may inadvertently cause further damage.

Arranging Repairs

Fortunately, this type of damage isn't especially serious, and it's a simple enough fix for a company that provides garage door repair services. It might boil down to whichever company can get to you the quickest, especially if you're not able to properly open or close your garage door. Repair generally involves the replacement of the damaged components (excluding any damage to your vehicle, naturally). Please note that there might be a color mismatch for any external door panels that might require replacement. Unless a precise match can be found (which isn't always possible), it might be necessary to repaint your garage door. 

If you should collide with your garage door, remember that the damage is unlikely to be serious. Repairs (if needed) will be straightforward, and will only be urgent if you're unable to actually get in or out of your garage. For more information, reach out to a local repair service, or visit a website like https://planooverhead.com/.