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In: Home & Family
1 Nov 2009Garage door repairs can be difficult; however, there are a lot of minor repairs and quick patch-ups that can save you the expenses involved with contracting a qualified professional to do the repairs. The following are some fundamental guidelines that will help you to evaluate and repair the ordinary problems that can be encountered with garage doors.
1. Keeping Safe
Safety is something that cannot be taken lightly when attempting to effect repairs on your garage door. Even professionals can make errors, so caution is advised. Garage doors are heavy, weighing hundreds of pounds; they function under a lot of tension, and they can open suddenly without warning.
It is essential that you keep your work area free of debris and trip hazards and to make sure you have plenty of room to quickly exit the area if the need arises.
You should also keep pets, kids, and other away from these garage doors as you’re repairing them, reducing the potential for accidental injury. Know how to use your tools the right way, and that you’re using the correct tools.
2. Easy Solutions
Garage door repairs are usually fairly simple, and consist of details that are easy to overlook, so consider this before you disassemble the whole door. Inspect the door for obvious issues like loose springs or bolts, parts that look misshapen or out of place, or possible blockages in the door’s track or machinery. Occasionally, it may be as easy as untangling a stray kite string or surfboard cord which has found its way around a mechanism.
Also look at how the door’s parts are holding up against regular usage. Worn out parts, rust, or disintegrating electrical cords can be replaced. Repairs don’t need to be complicated.
3. Replacing the Springs
If your garage door feels heavy or is tough to open smoothly, it might need to have new springs installed. More frequent use of garage doors will obviously mean that your springs will wear out more rapidly. When replacing springs, be sure to switch both at the same time. This way, the pressure on both sides of the garage door will be the same, life evenly, and prevent possible damage.
You might have torsion springs, or side-mounted springs. This part of the repairs is potentially dangerous, so be very careful and ask an expert if you are uncertain.
In addition to writing helpful articles, Jack maintains several home improvement type websites. Check out garage door sensor or the iron bed company.
