Are you planning a new home build? Perhaps you’re renovating your existing house, or maybe just remodeling the garage. In many instances, there are tons of things you can do on your own, from framing and general carpentry to pouring concrete footers for a new porch. However, there are things that should really be left to the professionals. For instance, you would probably never try to wire a new home’s electrical system on your own.
That’s the rule that applies with your garage door system. It should be left to the professionals, even if you think it’s a pretty simple fix. Not convinced? Let’s run through five compelling reasons that you should avoid handling garage door system repairs on your own.
1. Safety Matters a Lot
Perhaps the most important reason that you should avoid handling your own garage door system repairs is that it is inherently dangerous. Don’t believe us? Think about this – even single garage doors can be incredibly heavy. Double garage doors can be twice the weight. A lack of maintenance also means that there is a greater chance of malfunction.
It’s also important to remember that your garage door is the single largest moving part of your home. Every single year, hundreds of homeowners in Canada and the US seem to forget this fact, and are seriously injured while trying to work on their door. Something as simple as a broken lift cable or broken spring could cause the door to fall on you. And remember that a garage door that’s just 1.75 inches thick (45 mm) and 9 feet wide (2.5 m) can weigh up to 175 pounds (up to 80 kilos). A two‑xcar garage door can weigh twice that much.
A garage door specialist can assess the safety of the door system and take the appropriate actions to ensure safety.
2. Experience Matters, Too
Another reason you should avoid working on a garage door system is that chances are good you have no idea how they work in the first place. Every piece of hardware interacts with and impacts other components. It’s actually a pretty complicated system. For instance, do you know how the counterweight system balances the door’s weight so you can raise it with just one hand? Chances are that you don’t.
A professional garage door technician understands not only the role of every component in the system, but how those components interact with one another and the environment around them. This allows them to correctly balance doors that weigh hundreds of pounds, allowing you to lift them singlehandedly. It also helps to ensure that your door is able to form a weathertight seal, and that no components are subject to premature wear and tear.
3. Peace of Mind Is Important
Because you lack experience and expertise, there’s a very real chance that any repairs you make to your system will be incorrect or incomplete. That means whatever problem you were trying to correct is very likely to come back, or even worsen. That’s particularly true when discussing issues with your electric garage door opener.
Trained professional garage door technicians offer the peace of mind that you need. These experts have the training and experience necessary to accurately identify the issue, and then provide professional repairs. If something goes wrong, they will stand behind their work, often with a guarantee up to a full year. That’s something you’ll never get with DIY repairs, even if they are done correctly.
4. It Costs You Time and Money
There’s a misapprehension that doing your own repair work saves you money. That can be true in some instances, but it really doesn’t apply with garage door systems. Here’s why – because you lack the experience and expertise necessary, even determining the cause of a simple problem can be enormously time consuming. Time is money. After all, the hours that you spend trying to hunt down an issue with your garage door or opener is time that you cannot spend doing something more important or more productive.
Trained garage door technicians can identify the problem quickly and accurately, meaning that you’re able to get your garage door back in working order in a fraction of the time. That certainly saves you time, but it also saves you money and hassle, as well. A garage door technician’s sole goal is to ensure long‑term operation of your garage door. There is also the fact that incorrect repairs performed by an untrained person (you) could void the warranty on your garage door or garage door opener.
5. You’re Responsible for Accidents
Finally, the fifth reason to avoid doing your own garage door repairs is that if something were to go wrong, you would be responsible for it. By allowing a trained technician to handle your repairs, you add a level of protection. If an unfortunate accident occurs, the technician or the garage door repair company itself will be responsible. Of course, the chance of something untoward going wrong is much lower when handled by a trained professional.
Get the Help You Need
Ready to get your garage door in working order? Contact us today at 506-633-6604 to discuss your repair or replacement needs. We have decades of experience working with all types of garage door systems, and can provide the guidance you need. You can call us directly, or we’d be happy to send you a quote by email. Feel free to stop by the showroom, too.
If your needs run toward replacement instead of repair, check out our Design Centre to get ideas of what your options are, or use our image gallery to see examples of our past work.
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