Should You Reuse old Tracks on a New Garage Door Install?

Let’s face it: we all like to save a few bucks when possible. Reusing old garage door tracks is one of the ways homeowners will try to cut costs when installing new garage doors. But is it a smart way to save money, or a risky choice that’ll cost you down the line?

One of our jobs as a professional garage door repair company is to ensure the safety of every door installed, and when it comes to reusing old tracks, we feel this is an unsafe way to cut costs. Each and every track is designed and cut to measure the garage door to very precise specifications. While you may be able to get away with fitting a new door onto an old track, it doesn’t mean it’ll be safe.

Dangers of Trying to Re-use Tracks on a New Garage Door Installation

If the door exceeds the tracks’ maximum weight or gets caught on the rail it could run off track and damage nearby people or property. Reputable garage door repair and maintenance companies won’t reuse tracks when they perform your new garage door installation for these reasons. And it’s not just safety – it’s counterintuitive to invest in something as large and expensive as a new garage door only to cheap out on the infrastructure that holds it together. You’re risking ruining a brand new garage door and sinking hundreds to thousands more in garage door repair costs. You might even have to buy another new garage door, meaning, at the end of the day, you didn’t save any money at all. 

Many people don’t realize that most garage door installs involve a lot more than simply swapping out a door. Your door opening may need re-framed, a new header may be needed to accommodate the new one, and all the infrastructure and moving garage door parts need to be exactly calibrated to each other for your new garage door to function properly, safely, and for the 10-20 years that it should. Play it safe and be sure to have your new garage door installed on new tracks.