Have you ever woken up late for work, realizing that you have a meeting in twenty minutes, only to be stuck in your car because your garage door won’t roll up? To make matters worse, the cab service you’ve called is late due to traffic rush.
A lot of things run through your mind, some of them colorful.
“I’m going to miss an important meeting, I’m doomed”, “Today is a bad day” and “I should have fixed that garage door when it started making that odd sound”, you think.
An idea pops into your head. What about repairing it yourself? But is that a good idea? It’s just a door, right? Wrong. Garage doors are not ordinary doors (which are also hard to fix) and therefore can be much more dangerous than a normal residential door!
The life of a garage door can be expanded with proper care and maintenance. However, it may be too late for that. Here’s how to know if your garage door needs to be repaired:
Age Factor: If even a single panel of the door has been damaged, you may want to either repair it or replace it. So, how do you know which one to opt for? That’s a good question. It depends on the age of your door, actually. If you have recently installed your door, say about 3-4 years ago, it makes more sense to get repairs done. However, if your garage door is at least 10-12 years old, consider getting a new one.
Warped Door: If you have a wooden garage door, odds are, it’s becoming warped. This is because wooden doors are prone to warping. In such cases, the only solution is to find a replacement. Newer models are made to be resistant to warping, therefore, making them stronger and more durable than older ones.
Garage Door Won’t Go Down: While the garage door refusing to roll up may be what caused you to be late for you meeting, there is another common problem: issues with lowering the door. What happens when you can’t lower your garage door? Your home becomes vulnerable. You can’t leave the door open. This problematic situation occurs because there is a safety feature installed, known as the ‘photo eye’. This is so that when children or pet cross in front of the garage door, the door does not automatically lower itself. If they become misaligned, the sensors will respond as if something is in the way. You can readjust them by hand but a professional is better suited to repair them.
You should keep these factors in mind before considering door installation and repair services. If your garage door needs repairs, contact us today.
