Garage Doors – Repair Guide

Is trying to adjust the garage door on your own worth the effort? It depends on the type of issue, as well as your do-it-yourself skills.

 

Types of the garage door issues

If your garage door won’t work, there are usually problems with either the track or the springs. Some of the adjustments are easy to perform even without special training while others should be left to professionals.

1. Problems with the garage door track.

The track guides the door and controls how it seals. This type of repair is rather simple.

2. Problems with the garage door springs.

The springs are responsible for controlling the weight as it travels up and down. Adjustment of the overhead springs is not too difficult, while the torsion springs adjustments are much more often left to service men.

3. Problems with a binding door.

It does not take much effort to make the door snug up to the frame.

 

How much you save by fixing it yourself?

A visit of a repairman typically costs not less than $130-$180. In most cases, this visit will be a really brief one, as adjusting a garage door usually does not take much time.

If the repairman has to replace parts, the price will go up. To make things worse, some engineers take the opportunity to try and sell their customers costly parts or a new door, which can cost thousands of dollars. Sometimes they exaggerate the problem and make expensive repairs when only a little adjustment would be enough. If you do not know how the garage door mechanism works, you won’t be able to understand whether a new door or the costly repairs are really necessary.

 

How difficult could it be?

Most adjustments on your garage door are fairly simple (with the exception of problems with torsion springs).

What do we mean by the word “simple”?

The repair will take you not more than 60 minutes and involve several steps. You will need a couple of tools. On the whole, this is not the point where the thought ‘Is this too much?’ appears, but very close to it.

 

Can something go wrong?

Yes. It is possible to adjust the mechanism incorrectly until it no longer works. Luckily, there is a simple way to avoid this problem. Make a minor adjustment and check, whether the way your door works has improved. You do not have to dismantle the door!

 

Start with the easiest things

Can you find any loose bolts along the track? Push the garage door shut and tighten them. This simple tip has saved many homeowners the cost of a service ca