A garage door may seem like a simple fix and sure, in the hands of a professional, it is. But, when a person is untrained and attempts to repair a garage door that is not functioning properly, it can quickly lead to a mishap.
Like most things in life, garage doors have evolved over a period of time. We may think we know what to do, but garage doors are much more than meets the eye. When you get into how they function and the amount of force that is at play, simply trying to repair it on your own can lead to serious and even deadly injuries. Below, we look at some of the dangers of DIY garage door repair.
It Can Cost More Than Hiring A Garage Door Repair Professional
When someone attempts to do an at-home garage door repair, it is usually because they to do not want to pay for the service. The assembly looks simple enough, and they believe they can “figure it out.” However, if you have a malfunctioning opener, and you begin tinkering with the gears, you can inadvertently damage them beyond repair. This can lead to a replacement of the entire gearbox, which will cost you a lot more than the initial repair would have cost.
Torsion Springs Can Cause Serious Injuries
Most garage doors have torsion springs, and the force of the garage door closing, causes the heavy, torsion spring to wind up. If an inexperienced person attempts a repair without proper tools, and training, they can be severely injured by a spring releasing.
Garage Doors Can Fall
A garage door usually weighs over 100-pounds, and wooden garage doors tend to weigh more. If you were to drop a 100-pound concrete block from a height of 4-feet directly down on the hood, windshield, or top of your car, you could expect significant damage. If the block were wider than the car, you would expect even more damage. Automobile body damage, glass replacement, and paint repair cost much more than having the door properly repaired in the first place.
A secondary (but just as serious) fall risk is the fall of a person from a ladder. It is not easy to balance a faulty garage door in the right position while you are attempting to repair it on your own. This can lead to falls from the ladder which can cause injury.
The obvious risk is that the garage door can fall on you and cause serious injury or death.
Save Yourself From Harm And Hire A Garage Door Repair Professional
When you are watching YouTube videos trying to understand what is wrong with your garage door, you are doing nothing more than guesswork. Like any machine, the results of the action are caused by a series of events.
Garage Door Medics Technicians carry nine different sized torsion springs on our vans to ensure we can properly balance most garage doors, yet we occasionally have to special order springs. If you guess on what type of springs to order online, you very well might get the wrong springs shipped to you. This will leave your door inoperable and you will not only incur additional shipping charges, downtime and possibly continue to damage the garage door and opener.
Unless you hire a professional to address the cause of the malfunction, it will return. You can spend money on tools, parts, and quick fixes, and never correct the issue. Overall, you will spend more money trying to fix it yourself, than it would have cost to call a professional garage door repair company.
DIY garage door repair is costly, dangerous, and risky. You are risking the safety of your family, friends, and anyone else who may come on your property.
A spring that breaks loose or a door that crashes down due to a bad repair job will cost you more than money. The price can be personal injury or human life. Be smart and call for professional help.
