Do It Yourself (DIY) Overhead Repair
Today, when a quick search on youtube can reveal many ways to repair things by DIY, the option of fixing something without using the help of a professional handyman become more and more real. It can be a garage door repair, a wood floor refinishing, roll up gate repair, or any other type of home improvement. For some people the option to use a professional repairman is obvious, and when they are having a problem, they ask themselves who fix garage doors? And they search online for a garage door repairman. But for some, the first option will be to make a research, and to try and understand how to fix it by DIY.
In this post, we will go over the ways to fix a broken overhead door by DIY, and we will try and help you understand what kind of repairs should be performed in DIY, and which are better to be left for the pro to deal with. Our company is located in New York, but you can use the information we offer here for any overhead door in the US. You may need a garage door repair in the Bronx, or a garage door repair in New Rochelle, the following info will be helpful to you.
Warning!! It is important to make it clear that the info we will provide here is only a recommendation, and cannot replace the opinion of a garage door contractor who have the tools and the parts to perform a professional garage door repair. You should know that overhead doors can be dangerous, and using them the wrong way, or trying to repair them when you do not have the knowledge, the tools, the parts and the experience to do that can be dangerous, and can end with serious injuries. If you would like to learn how dangerous overhead doors or roll up gates can be, check one of the following articles:
If you have any questions, do not hesitate, and contact a local garage door specialist in New York to assist you. No DIY repair worth your health or you getting injured. So if you are not sure, use a professional for the repair.
Do not take risks. repairing something, whether an overhead door repair or a rolling gate repair, when you are not sure about the results can end with serious damages and even injuries. If you are not sure, contact a local expert for assistance.
What kind of repairs I can perform by DIY?
When you search online, you can find a Video or a tutorial for garage door repairs, and for almost any aspect of the overhead doors problems. But what you see on your computer, is different from reality. In real life every garage door is unique, and what worked for the specific overhead door you saw online, may not work for your door, which make the DIY a bit more complicated. The door itself, the spring system, the structure of your garage, the size of the door, the opener type, the wall/wood type, the tools that you will need and more. So following the online tutorial step by step will not always make your door work again, and more important, without fully understanding what you are doing, you can put yourself at risk, and not only that you will not fix the door, you may create a bigger damage.
So to answer the question which garage door repairs can be performed in DIY, we will say that it deepened on your skills, the tools you have, the ability to locate the right part for the door, and of course the job itself. Some people have the ability to repair and replace even torsion garage door springs, and for some even the basic garage door maintenance can become complicated. And it doesn’t matter if you own a garage door in Larchmont New York, or if you need overhead door repairs in Hermosa Beach California. The important thing is to know your limitations, and the fact that some repairs require special tools and knowledge (Assuming you were able to locate the part for the job).
Look at the following Videos, and see the differences and the requirements for each repair. One is about a garage door maintenance, and one is about a garage door spring replacement. As you will see, one is very basic, and does not require deep knowledge or tools, and the other is better to be performed by a pro.
Garage Door Maintenance Video
Garage Door Spring Repair Video
The parts for garage door DIY repairs
Some parts are universal, like a garage door remote control, and some are unique and even custom made for your overhead door, like garage door torsion spring. For the non-professional person, different garage door parts may look the same. And it is easy to purchase the wrong part for your garage door. And about that we have to say something which we have learned after many years of fixing broken garage doors in New York: The right part is not “almost”, “looks like”, “may work” or any other kind of uncertainty that can end with injury.
If you will try to use the wrong part the door will not work perfectly, and it can be both dangerous, and result with a more serious damage to the garage door. We saw garage doors that were repaired with the wrong springs, and the way the door jumped, or fell down and break is something that you do not want to experience. When you look for a garage door supplier, make sure that you are getting the exact part.
The tools for overhead door repair DIY
Some jobs require certain tools, which cannot be replaced without taking a risk. If you plan to repair your overhead door by doing it yourself, make sure that you have the right tools for the job. For example, if you are planning to replace a torsion spring, there is only one right tool for the job, and it is professional torsion sticks. Do not try to improvise and to use another tool for the job. The torsion springs are under a lot of tension, and using the wrong tool for the replacement can end with injuries.
Planning overhead door repair DIY
Like every other type of repair, whether it is a DIY repair, or even as professional garage doors technicians, need to begin with planning the repair. Know what the steps of the repair are, and avoid surprises during the repair. You do not want to find in the middle of the repair that you are missing a part, a tool, or that you do not know what the next step is. When the planning is being done the right way, the repair process become much clearer.
Learn, search and gather information about the repair you are about to perform, and fully understand the garage door mechanism and the way the overhead doors are built. As we will explain later in this article, the garage doors may differ from each other, but the general idea of the way the doors operate is the same. And learning the way the doors work, can make it easier for you when you will perform the repair. There are many types of overhead doors, and repairing a one piece garage door repairs in Woodland Hills CA id different from repairing a commercial overhead door in Staten Island.
DIY garage repairs and safety
This is the most important part of the garage door repair process. There is no money or time in the world that worth your health and your safety. If you are not sure what to do, stop immediately, and contact a local garage door company for the job. Overhead doors can weight hundreds of pounds, and the spring system is under a lot of tension. Put your safety before anything else. If one of the cables will snap, or if your overhead door is out of track during the attempt to fix the door, it can result with serious injuries.
Make it clear to the people in the house, or the people who use the door that you are about to perform a repair. You do not want someone to try and use the door while you are working on it.
Torsion spring DIY
Our recommendation: Avoid DIY torsion spring repair.
The overhead door torsion springs are under a lot of tension. The spring system is what make it easy to lift open even the heaviest overhead doors, balance them, and prevent them from crushing when you are closing the door. A perfectly working overhead door should give you the ability to use it manually and the door should hold itself ay any position. Torsion spring replacement is one of the most complicated repair a broken overhead door may require in order to work again. Make sure that you have the right torsion spring, the right tools, and the required knowledge.
To able to perform the repair, you MUST find the right torsion spring for your garage door, and adjust it correctly with the right amount of tension. In rare cases you may need a different torsion spring from the previous spring, so make sure you purchase the right spring for your garage door. If you are not sure, use a garage door specialist for the job.
Extension spring replacement DIY
Our recommendation: In some cases can be done by DIY.
Replacing an extension spring considered to be easier than replacing a torsion spring, but at the same time, it is still a dangerous process, and when being done wrong can result with injuries. Just like the case with the extension spring, you must locate the right spring for your door, and never use a spring that looks the same, or that you think it will be alright. There were a lot of calculations made by engineers, who calculated the right spring for that specific door. Using the wrong spring for your garage door will prevent the door from working properly, and will make it unsafe for use.
When you replace extension spring, it may be a good chance to examine other parts of the door that may be damaged and you may want to consider to replace as well such as the cables and the pulleys. Many times when the spring snap, replacing the cables and the old pulleys may improve the way your door will operate.
Opener installation DIY
Our recommendations: In most cases can be performed by DIY.
Before we get to the new opener installation, you need to decide what type opener you need. There are 3 common types of openers in the American market, the screw drive, the chain drive and the belt drive. If you would like to learn more, you can read an article written by All Westchester Garage Doors that explain the differences between the types of garage openers, and which one will be the right opener for you. Before you go ahead and plan to install the opener by yourself, you should know that a new garage opener should be installed only when the door is working perfectly when it is being used manually. The opener should never solve any problem, since if there is a problem that you ignore, soon you will have to fix it as well, and by that time the opener may burn.
If this is a new opener installation when there was an opener installed before, make sure that there is an electric outlet, and that the way your garage is built allow an installation of a new opener. Sometime there are modifications need to be made in order to complete the repair.
To learn more, you can watch a Video that explain how to install a new garage opener, or you can read an article about Lift Master garage opener.
Safety sensors repair DIY
Our recommendation: Mostly can be repaired by DIY.
Every overhead door, which is being operated by an electric opener should include a safety feature like the laser safety sensors. Not only that installing a new garage door opener without a safety feature is dangerous, it is also against the law, which require every overhead door to include safety sensors. Safety sensors issue is one of the common garage door problems, and usually repairing it require a basic understanding of the safety sensors and the way they operate.
There are ways to get behind the need for safety sensors, and of course we will not explain it here. But we will recommend you to avoid those methods at any cost. Yes, the opener will work fine even without them, but that one time that the safety sensors will protect you, a member of your family, a pet, your car or anything else that was placed under the closing door is worth it. Click here to read more about garage door safety sensors repairs.
There are ways to check what the source of the problem is. And if the wire itself is cut, or if the sensor itself is broken, you will need some parts in order to fix the problem. But in general, all overhead doors safety sensors work the same way. And if you get the idea of the way the safety sensors prevent the door from hurting someone or break something, it will be easier for you to fix the problem; whether you need garage door repairs near Redondo Beach CA, or garage door repair near Scarsdale New York.
Garage door lubrication DIY
Our recommendation: Can and should be performed by DIY (Residential overhead doors only).
Every overhead door or roll up gate need to be maintained. Even if the door is working fine and never needed repair, even if the door was just installed recently, and even if you do not think that the door need to be maintained. Lubricating your door will prevent problems, and help the door work smoother and better.
There are many moving objects included in the garage door mechanism, and they need to be lubricated twice a year. A basic garage door maintenance does not require more than 20-45 minutes of your time, but it will improve the way your overhead door move, and it will protect and preserve its parts. Again, if you own a commercial overhead door, you may need to use a pro for the maintenance. Since a commercial overhead door tune up require deeper knowledge, tools and safety check, to make sure that the door is safe for use.
Conclusion: If you are trying to perform the garage door repair in order to save money, we suggest that you think it over. The time, and the prices you may spend on parts may not worth the money you will “save”. If you are trying to perform the repair by DIY since you enjoy fixing things, and like working with your hands, DIY is something that can be done, and we will gladly share our knowledge with you. For any question, contact Vernon's Garage Doors and we will try to help.
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