WWYD - Replace Garage Door or not?

[ThreeofUs]

Hi, All--

I need your wisdom and experience!

We have an old house, and the old garage has an old garage door on it. The door and its assembly must be at least 50 years old. We've been in the house 8 years.

We just replaced the 40-year-old opener, and one of the springs broke. (Yeah, those BIG springs....) And on inspection the wooden garage door is eroded and splintered on one side, though there's no new wood showing and a new bracket has been put on to compensate sometime fairly recently.

To replace the springs is $245. To replace the garage door is $1K.

Money is tight, but I don't want to be $200'd to death with this door. Anyone BTDT? When do you replace the whole shebang?

What do you think? WWYD?

TIA for any advice.

[smiles33]

I would bite the bullet and get a new modern door made of metal rather than spend $245 only to have to eventually replace the other spring and the entire door itself. I know there is the lost opportunity cost of spending $1K now when money is tight, but it just seems to me you'd be throwing good money after bad if you only buy the expensive spring.

FWIW, my parents' 50+ year old home had the original wooden garage door when I was growing up. They finally replaced it with a lighter metal door about 15 years ago. Not only does it look better but it's not as noisy. Plus, new doors are sectional doors, as opposed to one heavy slab so I think that's safer. I believe there are also other safety considerations involved with the older heavy wood doors (like if another spring fails and the wood door slams shut on a child).

Good luck finding a good deal!

[ThreeofUs]

Hmmm. Interesting points. I am getting two springs for the $245 - can't just replace one, kwim? - and the door was one of the best doors on the market when it was installed, so it's sectional and has at least some of the "modern" safety features. I guess the wheels, the tracks or the attachment of motor to door could fail.

If it were $245 or $600, I'd just replace the door. But I just don't know if I can justify spending four times the money....