Upper Keys
Door Panel Replacement in Key Largo
This repair replaces a section whose skin is gone, rusted through, or split, when the other sections are still straight. A closed dent, with the hinge line straight and the face intact, is a different and smaller visit. The new section has to match the height, the hinge pattern, and the thickness of the stack. Color is matched at the opening, and faded paint beside a new skin does not blend invisibly.
Skin gone rusted through or split
A hole in the face, or rust you can see through, means that section no longer has a face. A split at a stile lets the section flex and can pull the hinges out of line. The sections above and below can still be square, which is what keeps this a panel job. A shallow dent that has not opened the steel is a smaller visit than a missing face.
What you can see and should not touch
From the floor, compare the bad section with the ones that are still stiff and straight. Do not touch the springs, the cables, or the set screws while you look. Keep hands off a sharp split, and keep people from pushing on a soft panel. If the door still travels, avoid forcing it past a bind at the damaged joint. A photo of the whole door and a closer shot of the bad face show whether the rest is straight.
Match height hinges and thickness
The opening is measured and the damaged section is compared with the ones that remain. Height, hinge holes, and skin thickness have to agree or the stack hinges wrong above the new piece. A closed dent with a straight hinge line can stay, and the door goes back into service. Rust through the skin, or a split stile, is when that section is replaced. Color is chosen in the daylight at the door, knowing the older sections have faded around it.
Faded paint and the hinge line
New paint on one section sits beside years of sun on the others, and the shades will differ. The goal is a section that fits and functions, with color as close as the current finish allows. Hinges from the old section are reused only when they are straight and the holes match. A taller section moves every hinge above it and cocks the rollers in the track.
Salt air and the lowest section
Salt air and humidity on Key Largo eat the lowest face faster when the bay is open. Storms drive water at the bottom rail and can leave the steel soft behind the paint. A weak bottom section can stop the door where the swollen steel binds. Naming a raised floor helps, because that lowest panel has been living outdoors.
Request this visit.
Call (645) 256-1794 about this door.
We answer any hour Sunday through Friday.
Saturday stays closed.
Keys Door Co is family-owned, local, and insured.
We have worked this coast for over ten years.
Common questions
Can a dented section stay if the skin is not torn?
A closed dent can stay when the hinge line is straight and the steel is still solid. Rust through the skin, or a split stile, is a section replacement. The other straight sections do not have to come off for that one piece.
Why does the new section look brighter than the old ones?
The older paint has faded in the sun, and a new face does not disappear into that color. The match is made at the opening so the new section is as close as the current finish allows. Fit and hinge alignment matter more than a perfect blend with weathered paint.
Does the wrong height really affect the hinges above it?
Hinges are spaced for each section height, and a mismatch shifts every hinge higher on the door. Rollers then ride crooked, and the door can bind in the track. Measuring the old section keeps the new one in the stack the hinges already expect.
Request service
Name the street and whether the door is up, down, or stuck.
- Repairs and replacement parts
- Openers and controls
- New garage doors