If you have a garage door with a broken spring, it is important to know if the repair can be done yourself or if you need to call an expert for help. The answer depends on several factors including: How old is your garage door? Is there a lot of damage? Do you have any experience working in this area? Can you find a professional who will come out to your home to inspect the problem? If you answered yes to these questions, then you are ready to attempt the repair yourself.
The first step is to determine where the spring is located. The spring usually hangs from the ceiling above the door opening. It holds up the door so that it does not slam against the wall when opened or closed. Most springs are held together with screws at each end. Remove the screws. Next remove the top piece of metal that covers the screw heads. This allows access to the spring.
How old is your garage? If you have installed a new garage door, chances are that the spring was installed along with the other parts of the door. If the spring has been damaged, it may no longer work properly. In most cases, however, you can still use the spring even though it is broken. To make sure that the spring works correctly, test it by closing and opening the door. If the door closes smoothly without slamming into the wall, the spring is good.
Is there a lot of damage to the door itself? If the spring is loose, you may be able to tighten it using a wrench. However, if the spring is completely detached from the door, it may be necessary to replace the entire door assembly.
How much experience do you have with repairing doors? If you have never worked on a garage door before, it may be best to leave the job to a professional. A garage door repair company will have the tools needed to fix the problem. They also have the expertise required to install a new spring.
What kind of garage door opener do you have? If you have a garage door opener that uses batteries, you cannot use a standard household battery. Instead, you will need to purchase special rechargeable batteries. These batteries can last years and cost less than $10 per set. If you have a remote control system, you will need to buy a replacement remote control.
Do you live in a rural area? If you live in a rural part of town, finding someone who knows how to repair garage doors can be difficult. If you live in a city or suburb, you may be lucky enough to find a local garage door repairman. But, if you live far away from the nearest garage door service center, you may have to pay for shipping charges to send your door back to them.
Of course, it is generally not advised to repair a garage door spring on your own. Garage doors are heavy and unwieldy. You may end up hurting yourself, or you could exacerbate the problem. The smartest option is to go directly to a credible garage door repair service like Master Overhead Doors.
