Now those are two words you will rarely hear us use “Simple Repairs”. There are some, but not many.

When it comes to garage door repair there are many components that rely on the others for performance. When your door was installed the order in which it is assembled is specific to not only the model of garage door but also what type of springs are used and how the cables attach to the springs and the garage door among others.

So when you’re looking for a simple fix your first phone call should be to us or your local professional garage door company.

For our example let’s say Jim wants to replace the rollers on his door. Jim is a fairly handy guy and has some mechanical experience. He has one roller that fell out due to age and stops in his local garage door distributor or big box to pick up 10 brand new ones. 8 of those rollers might be considered a simple repair. There are 2 that, at the bottom of the door on either side, special care must be taken to change out safely. At the bottom of most garage doors there is a special fixture that connects the cable to the door. There is always tension on this fixture in any position but when the door is down there is more, a lot more. Even though Jim is handy if he doesn’t know how much tension is on that cable and works on those rollers (not even an inches away) he could inadvertently release that cable. That could be a serious situation. If it did get released now Jim has to figure out how to reattach that garage door cable, adjust the spring, and re-balance the door (which could even require adjustment on the other spring if equipped). All he was attempting to do was change his rollers.

The aforementioned cable gets its tension from the spring. We never recommend anyone adjust or replace their garage door springs. It’s just not a cost cutting measure that makes any sense. You might save $80-$100 or so with a service call but not only can it be dangerous it can also do damage to the garage door. There would be no savings at all.

If you want to do some maintenance on your door we’re all for that. Things like lubrication (properly) and some general tightening of nuts and bolts will be all that’s necessary to keep your door performing properly. We have written many articles on what and where to lubricate as well as what products are recommended. You can find them on this website with a quick search.

So before you decide to save a little money please be absolutely sure you know what you are attempting and fully understand the affect it can have on other parts of your garage door. If you’re unsure in any way we’re just a phone call away.

Your Overhead Door Team – Of Rutland Vermont