DIY Garage Door Repair: What to Know

With technology and knowledge becoming more available to the average homeowner, the desire to tackle home repairs and do-it-yourself projects has become much more desirable and achievable. A fairly common repair or are that may need attention is the garage door. With it’s many moving parts, garage doors may need some repair or maintenance from time to time, and you may want to tackle some of these repairs on your own. But as with many things, there is some knowledge that one should have before they attempt any of these repairs themselves. Here are some things to look for and be aware of before tackling any DIY garage door repair.

Troubleshooting

If you are experiencing problems with your garage door, one of the absolute most important things to do before even thinking about repairing it is to figure out exactly what the source of the problem is. As mentioned, garage doors have many moving parts and without a serious knowledge of the ins and outs, it may be difficult to figure out what exactly the issue is. Take some time to really analyze what kind of problem is occurring before attempting any sort of fix. Try to figure out what component is causing the issue. Are your garage door springs bad or in need of adjustment? Is there an issue with the opener? Are there any loose bolts? These are they types of things that you should look for and can really help you pinpoint the issue and therefor, make it much easier to fix. Taking the time to troubleshoot can save a homeowner a lot of headaches when it comes to DIY garage door repair.

Parts

There is nothing more frustrating than getting halfway through a repair and realizing you have the wrong part. Making sure to get the right part is absolutely essential to a successful DIY repair. With springs for instance, there are many various factors in determining the correct spring for your garage door. It may not be as simple as going on ebay and ordering the first one that comes up in your search. Be sure to take the time and get the right part for your door.

There are many resources to help you figure these things out if you’re not sure such as employees at local hardware stores. A wrong part can cause the door to not operate properly and be potentially dangerous as well. It’s not worth the risk, make sure to check and double check.

Tools

Similar to the parts, using the correct tool for the job is incredibly important. Make sure that you have the right tools for the job. Trying to shortcut things or use the wrong tool can make the job much harder than it needs to be, make it so you can’t complete the job or again, even be dangerous. So be sure to know exactly what tools you need or may need for a job and have them on hand before starting a DIY repair.

Safety

There is definitely a theme to all of this. These garage doors are very large objects that are very heavy, if something goes wrong it can cause a lot of damage or even worse, injury. So make sure no matter what the repair, be sure to do it safely. Exercise caution and when in doubt, contact a professional. It’s not worth the risk.