Garage Door Repairs: When to Call in the Professionals

Your home garage door gets a strenuous daily workout from all the comings and goings throughout your family’s busy life. The constant wear and tear on the door’s components will inevitably cause the need for an occasional repair job. Some garage door maintenance tasks can be easily handled by the homeowner, but there are also vital garage door repairs that are best left to the professionals. Here are just a few of those important professional repair jobs you may need to consider.

First, Perform a Routine Inspection Before You Call in the Experts

Garage door companies advise that you perform a thorough inspection of your entire garage door system at least twice a year. During your biannual once-over, you can also complete some of the routine maintenance tasks, such as cleaning the garage door track or the door’s sensor eyes as well as lubricating the moving parts with the proper products.

As you inspect the various areas of your garage door system, keep an eye out for components that may be getting older, are visibly broken or rusted in places, or seem to be out of alignment. Taking note of which parts seem to be lagging a bit will give you some added information to share with the technician when you make the call for needed repairs. Of course, if your garage door system is malfunctioning in any way or is out of commission altogether, it is certainly time to make the call for expert help in order to keep your home, family and possessions safe in that area of your home.

Garage Door Installation for Door Panels Requires a Professional

If you have a broken or cracked panel in your garage door, you will need to trust that repair to the experts. While this may seem like an easy DIY repair job, garage door panels are quite heavy and will often require the help of two qualified technicians to successfully replace the cracked or broken panel. Also, alignment will be a crucial part of these types of garage door repairs as a misaligned panel could lead to further door damage or injury to you or your family members.

Also, while installing basic weather stripping around the garage door may be a simple enough job for you to complete yourself, putting it around panels is not. If you need to add or replace weather stripping between door panels, it is best to leave that chore to the professionals for a perfect fit and to get the greatest energy-saving benefit.

Call the Experts to Replace Garage Door Springs

A crucial part of any garage door setup is the intricate system of springs, and garage door spring repair is another job best left to the professionals. When you have a broken or stretched spring in your garage door system, you may notice a lot of noise and banging when you operate the door. These springs are under a tremendous amount of pressure at all times, working to keep the door aligned and operating properly. A qualified garage door technician can replace any broken or stretched springs before more damage occurs and will be able to properly install and align those springs for smooth operation.

Broken or Bent Garage Door Tracks and Cables

If your door has jumped the track, or if the whole system seems to be operating awkwardly, you may need a readjustment completed or a new track installed to fix the problem. Again, this is best left to professional garage door technicians who can properly install a new track, repair a track that may have become bent over time or determine if there is an additional problem keeping your door from opening and closing smoothly and safely.

The same is true when dealing with overstretched or broken cables within the garage door system. A qualified technician will be able to properly diagnose the problem and then replace any broken cables safely, utilizing the necessary tools and practices to get the door running again.

Automatic Openers and Other Expert-Level Garage Door Repairs

Automatic garage door openers offer a convenient option for homeowners, but when they break, the whole system suffers. These automatic openers vary widely depending on size, brand and age, so calling in a professional technician will be your best bet for successfully repairing or replacing your opener. Plus, these devices feature detailed electronic components and could pose an electrical risk when tampered with by an inexperienced person, so trust this potentially dangerous task to a properly trained technician.

Numerous other garage door parts may leave you high and dry when they break, and again, it is best to consult with a professional to determine the best course of action. Broken or damaged wheels within the garage door system, significant dents or dings in the garage door panels, and broken or failing hardware and hinges are all some jobs that probably need to be placed safely in the hands of experts in such garage door repairs.