There are a number of ways that your metal garage door can become dinged or dented. Your door may have been hit with a ball, flying rock or even tapped with your car as you pulled into the driveway. Regardless of how your door got damaged, the dent can be unsightly and decrease the curb appeal of the door. Fortunately, there are a few different ways that you can attempt to remove a dent from an aluminum or steel garage door.
Hot and Cold Method
One of the best ways to remove dents from sheets of metal, including a panel on your garage door, is to make the panel hot and then cold. The quick temperature shifts cause the metal to expand and contract, which can help your dent pop out. Follow these steps to heat and cool the garage door to help remove your dent:
- Fill a bucket with warm water and a squirt of liquid dish soap. Dip a sponge or soft cloth into the soapy water and then clean the dented area to remove any dirt, debris and grime. Dirt and grime can become baked on the door when you go to heat it up, making it difficult to remove. As such, you always want to clean the area well before beginning this method. Once the area is clean, wipe it down with a dampened cloth to remove soap residue and then dry it completely.
- Cut a piece of tin foil so that it is slightly larger than the dent. Hold the piece of tin foil in place with one hand over the dent. Do not skip this step. You can damage the paint on your door if you don't use tin foil.
- Place a lighter over the tin foil so that it heats up the foil over the dent below. Move the flame over the dent for about 60 seconds, being sure the entire dent is heated up. If you don't have a lighter, you can use a hair dryer instead.
- Remove the foil. Shake up a can of condensed air, hold it upside down and spray it on the dent. The carbon dioxide creates a cold blast when tipped upside down, so this will only work if you hold the can upside down. Spray for about 30 seconds, coating the entire dent in the air.
- Lastly, sit back and wait. The dent should begin to pop out within seconds. If the dent starts to pop, but doesn't pop out all the way, you can repeat this process.
Pound the Dent Out
Another way you can remove dents from a garage door is to simply pound it out. Pounding the dent out helps the metal pop back into place. Follow these steps to pound a dent out of your aluminum or steel garage door:
- Place a block of wood over the dent on the inside of the door. There should be a bubble, or pushed out area when looking at the dent from the backside. This is where the wood should be placed.
- Slowly begin to hammer on the block of wood. Start by using very little force. Continually increase the force you use as needed until the dent begins to budge. You don't want to pound too hard or you could end up making a dent on the inside of the door.
- Move the block of wood around the dent and slowly pound until the entire dent has been pushed out and removed.
Many dents from your garage door can be removed by either using the hot and cold method or pounding them out. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, you may be unable to remove all garage door dents on your own. If you have a large dent that you can't get to pop back into place, you may have to fill the dent with auto body filler and paint over the dent. Your other option is to either replace the garage door panel or your entire door, depending on what style of garage door you have. To learn more, a professional garage door repair company can examine the dent and let you know which options are best for you.
