If you have a metal garage door you might eventually face the prospect of rust particularly in the bottom corners. While it visually doesn’t look good it can also eventually eat right through the metal and make a hole right through the door.
But you only have to worry about rust on your garage door if you choose a steel door and more specifically one that isn’t made from galvanized steel. An aluminum garage door won’t rust at all, as we’ll discuss in more detail below.
How can you avoid rusting of your garage door?
- Choose an aluminum garage door since it’s a metal that naturally won’t corrode.
- If you choose a steel garage door, choose one with galvanized steel parts.
- Wash your garage door at least twice yearly to remove contaminants.
- Lubricate the garage door tracks to prevent friction.
- Avoid using corrosive or otherwise damaging cleaners.
- Repair damage before it has a chance to get wet and rust.
Below we’ll discuss how you can reduce if not eliminate corrosion on your garage door along with the pros and cons of aluminum and steel garage doors.
What if you already have rust on your garage door? We’ll discuss that too.
Aluminum garage door vs steel garage door
Here is a comparison between the two most common garage door materials: Aluminum and steel.
| Aluminum garage door | Steel garage door | |
| Rust resistance | Aluminum is naturally rust resistant on its own. | Galvanized steel doors have been treated to resist rust and were properly primed and painted offer good rust resistance. |
| Durability | Generally dent-resistant but not as much as steel. More likely to dent than steel. | Stronger than aluminum (and wood) and thus more resistant to dents. The heavier the gauge of the steel, the more dent resistant. |
| Insulation | Has poor insulation on its own as it’s a lighter metal than steel but is often sold with insulation. Lower R value when uninsulated. | Better insulation on its own than aluminum but can typically be ordered with foam insulation to better keep the heat in during winter or cold spells. |
| Availability | Widely available in various styles and colors with or without glass. Suitable for coastal areas with salt water exposure and areas with high humidity as they are corrosion prone regions. | Widely available in various styles and colors with or without glass. Suitable for all weather and climates. |
| Maintenance | Low maintenance. Simple washing when necessary will help to keep it clean but aluminum is already corrosion resistant. | Low maintenance. Wash twice yearly to remove contaminants unless you live in an area with significant salt exposure in which case you may increase wash frequency. May need repainting at some point. |
| Other | Lighter weight means less stress on the rollers, door track and electric garage door opener if you have one. | A steel garage door is generally more expensive to purchase than an aluminum garage door. |
If cost, total weight or rust resistance are your main concerns, an aluminum garage door is a good choice.
If you are more concerned with dent resistance and durability, a steel garage door is a good option.
Wash your garage door at least twice yearly especially if you live in an environment with salt exposure such as coastal regions and areas with harsh winters where you experience cold, wet and snowy conditions. This not only helps to keep the door clean but in the case of a steel door, can help to reduce the chance of corrosion.
Causes of rust at the edges of a garage door
Steel garage doors can rust and corrode over time when water seeps in and under the metal surface especially if there is damage. At some point the rust may be enough that you’ll have to replace the entire garage door.
You’ll tend to find rust and corrosion first occurs at the bottom left and right edges since they are nearest the ground and also tend to pool water that drips down the garage door or wall from rain or melting snow.
Wind, rain, snow, ice, UV and ozone are particularly hard over time on garage doors. If you experience salt exposure – you live in a coastal area near salt water or use salt in the winter – know that salt is corrosive to metal and can cause rust over time.
Dealing with rusted garage doors
At the first sign of rust on your garage door, either do the following yourself or speak with a garage door company for advice or to do the work for you:
- Remove the rust with a towel soaked with white vinegar. Vinegar helps to loosen and get rid of the rust. Be sure to remove all visible rust.
- Fill in any holes with a metal-specific filler. Allow it to properly dry and then sand to a nice finish.
- Clean the affected area to remove dust and debris.
- Prime and paint the entire garage door. Over time, your garage door paint job will fade from the weather so spot painting will stand out like a sore thumb.
Note: If your garage door has a patterned or raised finish, you won’t be able to mimic this in the affected area so this is something to keep in mind when planning your repair.
What you shouldn’t do: Don’t simply paint over rust as you are literally just masking the problem temporarily. Rust will spread and you will eventually have to deal with a bigger problem.
Summary
While you can often repair rust or corrosion on garage doors, if the garage door has a pattern which many do, you won’t be able to match it and it could stand out.
You then also have to paint the repaired area and since paint fades over time, you’ll probably end up having to paint the entire door to match the color. At some point you might consider getting a new garage door if the work involved is too much or if you’d simply like to modernize the look of the front of your house.
Wash your garage doors with soap and water twice per year in between seasons to get rid of dirt and grime and to help extend its life especially if it’s steel.
Alternatively, you can choose an aluminum garage door since it’s a type of metal that won’t rust, period.