In all likelihood, you utilize your overhead garage door each and every day. Whenever you leave your home or return home, you’ll need to open the door and shut it back down. When taking this into account, it is likely that your overhead door receives an abundance of use each and every week. Although garage doors are designed to withstand a lot of wear and tear, problems can escalate quickly and your garage door could give out at any point in time. Within this guide, you’ll learn about some of the most advanced Overhead Garage Door repairs, so you can fix the problem and get your overhead door opener up and running efficiently once more.
Complexity Of Overhead Garage Door Repairs
Making repairs to an overhead garage door is a very complex task. In fact, it may be wise to hire a professional repairman to do the work for you, since it requires expertise skills to pull it off. There are hundreds of spring and falling overhead garage door injuries reported each year that require an emergency room visit, which are often linked to inexperience. Remember, anything can go wrong at any time, but the risks of injury will be much higher for someone that is not skilled in overhead garage door repair.
DIY Or Hire A Professional
The first decision that you will need to make is whether or not to do the work yourself. Of course, this option can save you a bit of money, but it will cost you an immense amount of time. If you do not have the time to spare, you should just go ahead and hire a professional overhead door repairman. Just make sure to check the individual’s credentials, before agreeing to hire him/her, because if they are unskilled and uninsured, you risk a huge financial loss.
If you do decide to go the DIY route, you should take advantage of the numerous step-by-step guide videos that can be found on the web. Many of these videos are designed to help all skill classes, so even if you are unfamiliar with overhead garage door repairs, you can still complete the task successfully, if you follow the guide to a tee.
Overhead Door Repair Costs
Just like any other home repair task, the overhead roll up door repair cost will vary based on the type of repair needed, replacement part, and whether or not cosmetic damage needs to be fixed. For example, overhead spring replacement part will cost you around $200 and tack on the $300 costs of labor you will be looking at $500 more or less. If you can possibly do without hiring a professional, you will save yourself quite a bit of money, but the injury risks are extremely high, but this decision is yours to make.
Required Tools And Materials
As mentioned above, overhead garage doors can be surprisingly complex. In order to pull off the repair on your own, you’re going to need a few tools. Most individuals will own a handful of these and many homeowners, who delve into DIY projects frequently, will already own them all. The tools required will be listed below for your convenience.
- Battery powered drill
- Socket and ratchet set
- An adjustable wrench
- Rags or paper towels
- Wrenches
- A hammer
- Clamps
- Pliers
You may also need to acquire some leather gloves to protect your hands. Winding bars can also prove to be helpful. You’ll also need to acquire the right replacement materials. These include bottom brackets, lift cables, and double-life torsion springs. Once you have acquired everything that is needed, you’ll want to prepare yourself mentally and move ahead.
Clamping The Overhead Door
As already covered, working on garage doors can be incredibly dangerous! The springs can compress and extend at any point and result in severe injuries. With this in mind, you’ll first want to grab your C-Clamp and attach it right above the roller. This will effectively hold the garage door in place and prevent it from shooting upwards, when you begin winding in the brand new springs.
Removing The Unbroken Spring
In order to replace the overhead spring, you’ll need to first remove the damaged one. To do this, you will need to utilize the winding bar. Grab the winding bar and stick it into the bottom hold located on the good spring. Be sure to hold the bar tightly, while loosening the two setscrews. The spring will begin to push, as the screws are loosened, so position yourself in a manner that gives you full leverage over the winding bar.
Once the screws have been removed, you’ll want to grab the other winding bar and inset it into the secondary hole. At this point, the bottom bar can be removed. Now, begin unwinding the spring slowly. With each turn, you will leapfrog the winding bars, until the tension is completely gone.
Disconnect Springs From Central Bracket
Once the tension has been completely diminished, you’ll want to turn your attention to the central bracket. By removing the nuts and bolts, you’ll be able to free the spring from the bracket. Now, slide the springs to the end of the bracket. Make sure to utilize your locking pliers to prevent the torsion tube from escaping the bracket and damaging your vehicle or injuring you.
Remove And Replace
Now, you should be able to easily remove the spring from the torsion tube. Be sure to start on the left side of the door and work towards the other side. Once the cable drum has been removed, you should be able to slide the existing spring from the tube. Once this is done, you will be able to start replacing the spring with the new one. The process is reversed from the procedure described above. Also, make sure you replace all rusted parts, before completely installing and lubricating the spring.
Once everything has been finished and all of the nuts and bolts are secured tightly, you’ll want to test the door. Be sure to lift the door manually approximately 3 feet off of the ground and then let go. If everything is properly installed and the spring has been tensioned correctly, the door will stay in place. If not, you’ll need to check the tension and try again.
Overall
All in all, advanced Overhead Garage Door repairs can be dangerous. Although the procedure may sound uncomplicated, it is very tricky and requires skill and precision. With this in mind, it might be best to seek out professional assistance and save yourself the hassle.