The Perils of DIY Garage Door Repair

Ever since the words “Google” and “YouTube” became verbs (as in “…just Google it”), it’s become pretty easy to get the answers to almost anything you might wish to accomplish on your own. The urge to do-it-yourself (DIY) has never been stronger, whether it’s that life hack project to organize the mud room, or, amazingly, trying your hand at plumbing and electrical work without any formal training.

We totally understand this urge, and if we’re being honest, have succumbed to it a time or two. But it’s important to follow some guiding principles, even if you’re trying to become the best darn DIY-er in your neighbourhood!

The single most important question you should ask yourself when deciding whether a project is DIY-worthy or not: Is there any way that attempting this on my own could pose a safety risk to myself and my family?

In this age of ‘instant information’, many of us have forgotten the phrase, ‘just because you can, doesn’t mean you should’. In our years of professional, quality service and repair, we have seen more than a few misguided attempts at DIY.

Some of the more common situations:

Attempting to wind/unwind a spring without clamping the door in place; The springs hold enough tension to not only break flesh but even bone and only a professional with professional winding tools should be attempting this – particularly for larger multi-spring or commercial springs. We commonly see/hear of doors flying up, cables breaking or DIYers cutting cables and doors that come crashing down.

Balancing the spring; The combination of the wire size, spring length and weight of the door will give the number of turns required to balance a spring/door and keep the door from either crashing down or flying up. It is not generic based on the size of the door. This is often misinterpreted by non-professionals, leaving a spring/door unbalanced. This shortens the life of the spring, adds unnecessary tension to the door and operator and can lead to springs breaking, operator motors blowing and in the worst cases, the top panel or entire door being damaged.

Adjusting tracks/hinges without securing the door; If the door is not set in place or balanced correctly, the door, rollers, etc. can slide one way and the door can come out of the tracks or worse, slide out completely and come down on one side.

Suffice to say, when it comes to projects around the house that have the potential to pose a health and safety risk, it’s best to leave them to the professionals.

Overhead Door of Winnipeg and Overhead Door of Brandon have a group of dedicated employees and a fleet of trucks ready to respond whenever you need us, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Schedule your service today!