What To Do With Old Garage Doors? (Find Out Now!)
Garage doors keep your property secure, but, over time, the doors get damaged and show signs of wear and tear. Fortunately, there are a lot of ideas for what to do with old garage doors.
Restore your old garage doors. Sell them online, or take them to a salvage yard. Donate them. Use them for a dining table or game table. Build a greenhouse or headboard. Make garden planters, a bench for your entry, or a ping pong table. Use old garage doors for a coat rack, console for your entry way, and floating shelves.
Let’s take a closer look at garage doors and some of the best ideas for what to do with old garage doors.
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Types of Garage Doors
There are six types of garage doors.
- Sectional: The most common type of garage door, sectional garage doors have individual hinged panels
- Roll-Up: More common for commercial applications, roll-up garage doors are made with small panels that measure about 2” to 3” high
- Sliding: Sliding garage doors slide to the side of the garage opening to sit flush with the wall of the garage
- Side-Hinged: An old-fashioned design, side-hinged garage doors open like French doors on your patio
- Tilt: Tilt garage doors are made with a single solid panel that pivots on a hinge
- Tilt Retractable: A tilt retractable garage door is a solid panel that tilts on a hinge and slides inside the garage on a track
What are Garage Doors Made From?
Old-fashioned garage doors are made from wood. Newer models are made with aluminum, steel, fiberglass, and wood.
Can You Recycle Old Garage Doors?
Steel, wood, and aluminum garage doors can be recycled. Fiberglass is practically impossible to recycle with traditional methods. Unfortunately, it is also one of the worse materials to put in landfills. There are a few companies that recycle fiberglass. Check online and contact the companies to find out what to do with your old fiberglass garage doors.
Can You Sell Old Garage Doors?
Check any online marketplace, and you will see that there are always old garage doors for sale. Some of the most popular are old wooden garage doors for sale. People like the vintage look of the doors. Other styles and materials also sell well, but the doors need to be in good condition.
Another way to get rid of old garage doors that still work and look fairly good is to donate them to a thrift shop. If your garage doors are beyond their usable lifetime and badly damaged, check with a local salvage yard.
How to Sell Old Garage Door Parts
Another option is to sell the parts of your old garage door through an online marketplace. Old garage door springs, panels, tracks, chains, remotes, and other parts are always in demand. This takes a bit more time because you have to take pictures and manage the listings, but you will make some money in the end.
How to Restore an Old Garage Door
If the mechanical parts of your garage door are in good shape, and it just looks horrible, retore it. Remove the old paint with sandpaper or have it sandblasted. Smooth out the surface with wood filler, epoxy for metals, or fiberglass epoxy resin. Paint the garage door with a layer or two of primer followed by two coats of weather-resistant exterior paint.
Garage Door Maintenance
After your old garage door has a fresh, new look. Take a few minutes to check the mechanical components. Clean and oil the hinges and tracks. Check the chain for any signs of broken links. Change the batteries in your remotes.
How Do You Repurpose Old Garage Doors?
Due to their relatively simple designs, old garage doors are great for repurposing projects. Depending on the material and design, you can come up with some practical and creative uses for old garage doors.
What To Do with Old Wood Garage Doors
Old wood garage doors are perfect for a new dining table or game table. Sand the surface of the wood, and apply a fresh coat of stain. Seal the wood with a coat of polyurethane, lacquer, or varnish. Attach the old garage door to some table legs, and you have a new piece of furniture.
Make a greenhouse with old wood garage doors that have glass panes. The glass lets in plenty of natural light. Just frame out a wooden roof, and you have a new place for a year-round garden.
For a dramatic look in your bedroom, repurpose an old wood garage door into a headboard. Sand the door, and apply a layer of interior paint. Distress the finish for a vintage look. If you have an extra wood panel after making the headboard, build a matching footboard.
What To Do with Old Metal Garage Doors
Old metal garage doors with large panels make wonderful garden planters. Build a box frame from wood – redwood and cedar are the best for planters. Insert two of the old metal garage door panels – one for the front and one for the back.
If you’re not into gardening, use this same base design for an entryway bench. After you build the box and insert the panels, add a third piece of wood for the top. Attach it with hinges, and you have some extra storage space.
Do you have a pool table in your home or man cave? Use an old metal garage door to make a table tennis topper. You can even repurpose the garage door opener and track to lower and lift the surface when it’s time to play pool.
What To Do with Old Garage Door Panels
Old garage door panels can be used in many ways. Remove the center box of the panel, and attach pieces of chalkboard. Glue hooks along the bottom of the panel. You’ve just made a coat rack for your entryway or mudroom.
Shop around at thrift stores, antique shops, and online markets for vintage-style shelf brackets. Mount them to the wall in your entryway, and attach a panel from your old wood garage door. Make a more modern look with brushed aluminum or black brackets and a panel from your old metal garage door. Place a piece of glass on the shelf for an even surface.
Use old garage door panels to build raised beds in your garden. The height is perfect for watering, weeding, and planting. Add decorative posts at the corners.
Use Old Garage Doors as Artwork
The geometric design of old garage doors makes an excellent canvas for artwork. Show the natural grain of an old wood garage door. Paint abstract designs on metal garage doors, or paint different colored squares for a modern look.
Use the panels from your old garage doors to make frames. Cut out openings the same size as your favorite family photographs. Find picture frame matboard at a local hobby store or framing shop. You want matboard that has a hinged door for the photo and metal tabs to keep it closed. Glue this to the back of the garage door panel over each opening for the photos. Add some mounting hardware.
How To Dispose of an Old Garage Door
If your garage door is beyond recycling, salvaging, selling, and upcycling, disposing of it might be the only option. Before you take it to the landfill, contact your local sanitation department. Ask about regulations for disposing of old garage doors. This saves you time and may even help you avoid fines.
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Related Questions
What can you do with an old garage door opener?
Use old garage door openers and track systems to build something new. The equipment works for retractable flat-screen TVs, attic access doors, and moving holiday decorations.
Conclusion
Old garage doors have a lot of potential. Considering what you can do with just a little time, throwing them in the landfill is really a last resort. Instead, try to imagine what you can do with your old garage doors.
Jennifer L. Eggerton loves being hands-on, whether it's with a home DIY project, making repairs, re-decorating a room, or keeping life organized. She enjoys helping people by sharing her knowledge, insights, and experiences, as well as her lessons learned. In addition to her work as a writer, Jennifer is a Jeep® overlander, self-published author, and nature photographer who loves being outdoors.
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