The Dangers Of DIY Garage Door Repair And Why It’s Better To Hire A Pro

In the hands of a professional, repairing a garage door is undoubtedly easy. However, if an unskilled person attempts to repair a broken garage door, it could quickly result in a horrible tragedy.

Garage doors have changed over time, much like most other mechanical things. While you may think you know what to do, garage door repairs are much more complicated than you realize. Simply attempting to fix them yourself can result in serious and fatal injuries. 

If you are still contemplating between DIY-ing or hiring a professional, here is a list of some risks associated with performing garage door repairs on your own:

1. You run the risk of making things worse.

When working on garage doors, proper equipment and/or experience is critical to avoid making miscalculations; it only takes one mistake to make things worse.

By DIY-ing you run the risk of damaging your garage door, your vehicles, or items stored within your garage, should something go wrong. So, even though you can save some money initially, the risk of performing garage door repairs yourself is not worth it, as it can result in other costly repairs. 

2. You might work on the wrong part.

Your best course of action may be to read up on your garage door before doing any repairs, but that does not ensure you will be working on the right part to actually solve the problem. You may inadvertently treat the problem’s symptoms rather than the root cause. The garage door professionals at Ohana Garage Doors already have the training and experience to properly address the underlying issue and thus work on the correct part. 

3. The garage door might collapse.

Garage doors can weigh hundreds of pounds. If yours were to collapse, it may cause harm to the garage floor, any belongings you store there, your car, and so on. Although you probably do not anticipate this, collapsing garage doors are a frequent DIY disaster. Additionally, you risk suffering critical injuries if you, your family, friends, kids, or pets are in the path.

4. You might create permanent damage.

Things might get worse as a result of your DIY repairs. For example, even a small portion of the door can get damaged, causing the entire system to stop functioning. As a result, you risk permanently damaging the garage door or the door system. To prevent this from happening, you should contact a garage door professional immediately before these damages turn into even more costly repairs.

5. Torsion springs are difficult to handle.

There are two types of spring systems for garage doors: extension and torsion systems. Torsion springs are the most common of garage door systems in the Kay/Houston TX area, and repairing them is extremely risky. These springs are located above your garage door, horizontally. The spring’s tension is what lifts the door off the ground as the door opens. 

Torsion springs that become damaged are harmful because they retain a great deal of energy when they are tightened up. Usually torsion springs unravel and release their energy when they break; but not always. Sometimes they break and stick, holding that energy until something triggers the release. For that reason, this spring has the potential to cause severe harm or perhaps death.

A torsion spring repair is not a DIY. In this case it is highly recommended to hire a professional.

6. You need the necessary equipment.

Most garage door repairs require specialized equipment that you likely will not have on hand. You will then need to locate and purchase these specialized tools thus requiring you to spend money on costly equipment you will never use again.

Some individuals try to mend their garage door using the equipment lying around to get past the problem. However, this could be detrimental. Trying to fix your garage door with the wrong equipment can put you in danger, ruin the door, and damage your equipment. And that is why it is quicker and simpler to hire a professional to complete the task for you rather than purchasing new tools.

7. You might use the wrong replacement parts.

There are several components on every garage door. You can purchase the wrong replacement parts if you are unfamiliar with your garage door or how it functions. The issue will resurface even if the replacement part may initially work.

8. The repair work demands greater reliability.

Repairing garage doors by yourself may result in poor results. Even when the immediate issue has been resolved, the underlying problems may still linger causing your garage door to deteriorate over time. This can be problematic. Overlooking the root problems may result in serious injuries, costly garage door replacements, and property damage.

9. You might spend more than you will save.

You will not be saving any money by the time you purchase the appropriate tools, new parts, and any other supplies you need. Additionally, if you make a mistake while repairing, you might need to acquire a second replacement part, or by then, call an expert instead.

To put that into perspective, you will wind up paying more than you would have if you had hired expert assistance from the beginning.

Your time is valuable too! If you decide to do it yourself, be prepared to sacrifice a lot of your time. If this type of repair is unfamiliar, repairing the garage door can take a long time from making the proper diagnosis, to collecting the correct parts, to performing the repair. To the inexperienced DIY-er, this can be a lengthy and costly repair.

Let the experts do the work!

Garage door repair is NOT one of the numerous Do It Yourself chores you can easily tackle. Unfortunately, garage door repair can be risky and even fatal, regardless of your desire to gain new skills or save money. Most of the time, it will cost you more money to repair your errors than if you had initially hired an expert.

The risks simply do not outweigh the benefits of a DIY garage door repair. Which is why it is always better to leave garage door repair to the professionals.

For garage door repair needs, contact Ohana Garage Door Repair today!