Can You Perform Garage Door Repair Yourself?
When it comes to home repairs, some are simple enough to be done on one’s own, while others are more complicated and risky and should be left to professionals. Is garage door repair among them? Since the garage door is a significant investment, it is critical to maintain and fix it when needed. This blog will look at which repairs call for a DIY solution and when it is best to call in a pro.
Garage door repairs you can do on your own:
Tightening of door hardware
The vibration every time the garage door operates and climatic factors that cause your door to expand and contract will shake loose the metal hardware such as hinges, bolts, and nuts that hold the two panels together. Fortunately, one of the most basic DIY garage door fixes is tightening these parts. A screwdriver may suffice to remove the screws or bolts that hold the hinges in place, but screws that are difficult to loosen may require an impact wrench.
Replacing the weather-stripping
Replacing the weather-stripping at the bottom of your garage door is one of the easiest DIY projects you can ever tackle. Replacement weather seals are available at any reputable garage door retailer, and the right one you need will depend on the model garage door you have. Remember to measure your garage door to determine how much weather-stripping you will need to cover the entire door’s edge.
Lubricating the moving parts
Proper lubrication of mechanical parts helps eliminate the squeaky noise when your garage door operates. Use a garage door lubricant as this is particularly suitable for garage door components, including the chain rail, metal rollers, ball bearings, hinges, stems, nubs, lock, and armbar. It properly lubricates and acts as a deterrent against moisture, which causes rust and corrosion.
Adjusting the safety sensors
If the safety sensors are misaligned or obstructed, your garage door will stop closing before it fully closes and reverse direction. Ensuring that the safety sensors are working, aligned to one another, and have nothing blocking their beam is a simple adjustment that takes less than five minutes and saves you money and time on a needless service call.
Garage door repairs that should be left to the experts
Replacing the torsion or extension springs
The springs that lift and lower your garage door are under immense tension, so they should never be serviced by anybody other than licensed specialists. Furthermore, you should never try to repair garage springs on your own because if one breaks, the flying spring could injure you or someone else. Because of this risk, garage door spring replacement is best done by a professional serviceman.
Repairing the automatic opener
Garage door openers appear to be simple appliances, but they are actually sophisticated mechanisms. Working with a mechanism composed of a handful of interconnected parts can be risky and costly, even if you are skilled with simple household repairs. In addition, modern openers have electrical components that can fail at any time, so it is better to leave garage door opener repair to the professionals.
Changing the cables, rollers, or drums
Replacing garage door cables requires opening up and working on the springs, rollers, and drums, so it can be a complicated DIY undertaking if you are not an expert at the process. There are far too many things that can go wrong, even if you know what you are doing. On the other hand, professionals have the expertise and tools to complete this task without anyone getting hurt, so it is best left to the pros.
Garage door repair service from Palms Garage Doors
Palms Garage Doors is a premier garage door repair company serving the Greater Bay Area. We are a locally owned and operated business dedicated to helping you get the most out of your garage. We are happy to provide free estimates and expert technicians to assist you with your garage door needs. For emergency garage door repair, call us right now at (833) 833-3361.
