Why DIY Garage Door Repair Is Dangerous and Often Ineffectual

When problems start to show up with garage doors Santa Maria residents may feel it’s OK to attempt a garage door repair on their own. However, not only are DIY repairs dangerous, the issue the person wants to fix may represent only a symptom of a larger underlying problem.

When people take it upon themselves to attempt repairing a garage door, they may exacerbate the larger issue or find the fix only worked temporarily. In addition, there are many garage door problems that only professionals should troubleshoot and fix.

Here is a look at why you shouldn’t attempt garage door repairs yourself and what larger problems your garage door issue might indicate.

Why You Shouldn’t Attempt DIY Garage Door Repair

Garage doors may seem simple, and some of them are. However, even simple mechanisms can become hazardous. You take on an extreme amount of risk when attempting many of the types of DIY repairs that some websites or videos online might tell you it’s OK to try. Here are just a few of the reasons why you shouldn’t attempt DIY repairs on your garage door or its mechanisms.

You Can Further Damage the Garage Door

If you make a mistake, you can cause further damage to the very thing you’re trying to repair. In addition, you can also unknowingly damage other parts of the garage door or its mechanisms.

Imagine fixing one problem only to find out the fix created another, more expensive problem. You can use the wrong tool, install the wrong part, or employ the wrong method when you’re attempting the repair.

Any one of those things can lead to further damage, safety hazards, and a lot of liability for whatever other damage the faulty garage door may cause.

You Might Not Have the Proper Tools for the Job

Garage door specialists make use of custom tools and accessories for garage door repair, installation, and troubleshooting. Most people will not have or have access to these tools.

Manufacturers do not all build their products the same way, and not all garage doors operate the same. Tools for specific circumstances or models aren’t always obtainable by non-professionals. Without the proper tools, you can turn a singular problem into a multifaceted one. Improper tools and lack of professional safety equipment can also lead to injuries to yourself or others.

You Can Void Your Warranty and Still Have an Underlying Problem

Before you even consider a DIY project on new, or fairly new, garage doors, consider your warranty or the installer’s guarantee. If you void your warranty by trying to repair something on your own, then you’re stuck with the bill if something goes wrong.

Even if you complete a successful repair, that voided warranty can mean you’re out of options for any future issues that might arise. Keep in mind that if you didn’t fix the underlying issue that caused the symptom, future issues will most certainly arise. This holds true for new garage doors as well as older ones.

You or Others Can Suffer an Injury

Maybe the most important reason not to engage in DIY garage door fixes comes from the fact that these doors and mechanisms can cause real physical harm. That harm can vary from annoying and mild, to severe and fatal.

Garage doors can become especially dangerous if your DIY fix damages something else or if your fix doesn’t solve an underlying issue. If in doubt, all you need to do is consider the factors that make a garage door dangerous, which can include the:

• Very heavy weight of the door

• Speed of the door whether it rolls down or slides

• Moving parts of the door that can grab, pinch, and trap

• Tightly compressed springs of the garage door

If you’re unaware of all the potential dangers, you might accidentally trigger one. In fact, you can trigger any of these and other dangers even if you’re aware of them.

A garage door suddenly falling onto you, someone else, or a pet can lead to severe injury and even death. This is the type of thing that can happen while you’re doing a DIY fix of the door’s tracks or opening and closing mechanisms. If a spring breaks, it can shoot out at a speed that can destroy whatever it hits or cause a fatal injury.

These are just some of the many examples of what makes a faulty DIY repair dangerous. Many of these dangers can come about specifically because your DIY fix didn’t address the real issue with the garage door.

Common DIY Garage Door Repairs That Often Miss the Real Issue

Garage doors do sometimes have issues that remain unseen, and those issues can create further problems. The further problems tend to have more visibility to people and fall under the category of common garage door issues that they can try to fix themselves.

Some examples of those common problems include:

• Noisy, squeaky, clattering, or squealing garage doors

• Issues with opening or closing the garage door

• Crooked, uneven, or unleveled garage doors

• Electrical components not working or not operating correctly

• Sensor issues and problems with garage door openers

However, more serious issues can cause all these symptoms. For example, you might successfully fix a runner with a mallet to solve a problem, but the real problem might come from the fact the door’s torsion strings need loosening.

If those springs stay far too tight, the problem of your garage door closing like it’s under a lot of tension will remain. The springs alone can produce a ton of symptoms that will worsen after each fix to the system without a fix to the source issue.

This all applies to various parts of the garage door and its mechanisms. The springs, cables, and other mechanical parts suffer wear and tear just as every other part of the garage door. Keeping them in disrepair while only fixing the surface-level issues can cost you in ways beyond just financial.

What to Do Instead of Attempting a DIY Garage Door Fix

You don’t need a professional garage door company for everything. You can, and should, practice common sense maintenance and testing on your garage door. As garage doors aren’t all the same, you can ask a professional garage door service or technician what steps you can take to keep your garage door in good condition.

Much like anything else, it’s important to take care of your property, but it’s also important to call in a professional garage door repair service when problems start to occur. Also, consider that a professional garage door company will have insurance to cover them and your property if something untoward should occur while they’re repairing or installing new garage doors.

While you shouldn’t attempt any repairs on your own, you also shouldn’t let a garage door problem linger. Not doing anything about garage door damage or issues can create just as many dangers as attempting to fix the problem yourself.