Garage doors aren't meant to last forever. Unfortunately, that means eventually you'll need to have yours replaced. If the time has come for you to have a new garage door installed on your home, make sure you're ready for the big day. It's not enough to simply move the cars out of the garage. Having a new garage door installed on your home is a major project; one that requires some advanced planning. Here are three steps you need to take to make sure you're prepared once the installation team arrives. 

Rent a Dumpster

If you haven't rented a dumpster yet, now's the time to get that taken care of. Garage door installation can be quite messy, which means your installation crew will need someplace safe to toss all the debris. Not only that, but if your old garage door contains aluminum, you can make some spare cash by recycling the discarded pieces. A dumpster will allow you to store the pieces during the installation. Once the project is complete, you can recycle the aluminum and have the rest of the debris hauled off to the local landfill. 

Designate Alternative Parking

If you're going to have a new garage door installed on your home, you know that you won't be able to park your cars in the garage during the installation. However, you might not realize that your driveway will be off-limits during the project as well. Because of that, it's important that you designate alternative parking before the big day arrives. If you'll need to park in front of your neighbors home for a few hours, let them know in advance. That way, they're not shocked when there are extra cars parked in front of their homes. 

Clear the Surrounding Area

If you're like most people, you use your garage for more than parking space for your cars. You probably also use it for additional storage space. If that's the case, you'll need to make sure that the garage and surrounding areas are cleared prior to installation day. Boxes and other items should be moved away from any area where the installation crew will be working, including the space around the tracks. It's also important that you remove toys, bikes, and other items from the driveway and walkways. That way, you eliminate trip and fall hazards for your crew. 

Don't let problems interfere with the installation of your new garage. Use the tips provided here to ensure a stress-free, problem-free residential garage door installation.