Your garage door opener may see a wide range of problems throughout its life. Faulty photo eyes, electrical problems, burnt-out motors, snapped springs—all can strike and leave you stuck (whether inside or out).
And though you might be tempted to tackle your garage door opener repair on your own, this job is often best left to the professionals.
This guide takes a look at the top five reasons to consider professional garage door opener repair overdoing it DIY instead.
Table of Contents
- 1. Protect You & Your Family Against Accidents
- 2. Rest Easy Knowing Your Garage Is In Tip-Top Shape
- 3. Save Yourself the Time & Hassle
- 4. Extend the Life of Your Garage Door
- 5. Open the Door to the Best Equipment
- Best Garage Door Opener Brands
- Frequently Asked Questions
1. Protect You & Your Family Against Accidents
Though it may not seem like it, your garage can be much more dangerous than it looks.
Doors are heavy. And operating an opener takes a lot of power and force. When something goes wrong, it can have dire consequences that may put you and your family at risk.
Let’s look at the facts.
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors:
- About 20,000 to 30,000 injuries related to garage doors occur each year, landing many victims in the emergency room.
- More than 7,000 pinching injuries are reported, which may result in amputations or permanent disability.
- Over 2,000 Americans are crushed by the substantial weight of a falling garage door.
- About 800 lacerations come from improperly handling glass in garage doors.
Tackling that garage door opener repair on your own may seem like a good idea at first. But not having the right equipment, knowledge, and tools could actually be putting you in danger.
On top of that, doing so incorrectly can jeopardize you and your family’s safety later, too.
2. Rest Easy Knowing Your Garage Is In Tip-Top Shape
Piggybacking on the last point, safety should be your number one concern. And when you partner with a garage door opener repair professional, you don’t have to worry about whether the job was done right or not.
This is especially important when it comes to garage door springs. These springs, though small in size, have enough potential energy to lift up to 800 pounds.
When these springs aren’t installed correctly, that potential energy can cause the springs to snap, launching chunks of the spring across your garage at incredibly high speeds.
And that can pose a serious threat to you and your family’s safety.
But beyond just the safety concerns, working with a professional means you don’t have to worry about if you actually fixed the problem.
Faulty DIY repairs can lead to equipment misalignment, improper support, and other issues. And that can lead to even more problems later.
With a garage door opener repair professional, though, the job gets done right the first time, saving you money.
3. Save Yourself the Time & Hassle
Repairing a garage door opener yourself can be a monumental task.
On the one hand, there’s the time commitment.
Depending on your issue, it could take a few hours or up to an entire day. And that’s if you know what you’re doing.
Let’s not forget that garage doors have the tendency to break at the worst possible moments (think on your way to work or late at night).
Most homeowners just don’t have the time to sit down, figure out the problem, gather the right equipment, and fix the issue themselves.
Then there’s the hassle. The heavy lifting. The painstaking aligning.
The tightening and loosening. It can take a lot of work to get things back to normal.
And if you don’t have the right tools for the job, you’re going to have an even harder time.
A garage door opener repair professional is guaranteed to get the job done faster and easier than most homeowners ever could.
They have the experience, expertise, and equipment needed to handle each job as efficiently and effectively as possible.
Best of all, some repair companies offer 24/7 garage door opener repair services for those need-it-done-now emergencies.
4. Extend the Life of Your Garage Door
First and foremost, most professionals will offer product and labor warranties/guarantees. And those alone can extend the life of your garage door.
But beyond that, a professional can also prevent problems from occurring.
Though a garage door may seem simple on the surface, it’s actually a more complex piece of machinery than most people know.
There are lots of moving parts involved. And knowing how small problems can affect the machinery at large takes lots of training and experience.
With a garage door opener repair professional, you can leverage the benefit of that training and experience.
Sure, these technicians will be able to repair the problem for maximum effectiveness later. But beyond that, they’ll also be equipped to spot serious problems early on.
For instance, an unbalanced garage door can be hard to spot for the typical homeowner. But it could be putting serious strain on your opener over time. And that can lead to big (and expensive) problems later.
With a professional, you can fix those problems before they require a heavy investment.
5. Open the Door to the Best Equipment
Raynor Ultra II with WiFi Garage Door Opener
Finally, working with a garage door opener repair professional gives you access to better equipment and brands than you’d have access to on your own.
To explain, big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes may offer a few different garage door opener models. And they may even have a few repair parts available too.
But professional repair services have loads more options available to them, both in terms of parts and different brands.
That means when you work with a garage door opener repair professional, you’re opening up the door to better equipment and parts that you otherwise wouldn’t have access to.
Added to that, many repair professionals are able to purchase equipment from vendors at a discounted rate.
So not only are you getting the best brands and models in the industry—you’re also getting them at a cheaper rate.
It’s a win-win!
Best Garage Door Opener Brands
Raynor Garage Doors
With decades of experience installing, repairing, and serving garage doors and openers, hands down, the best brands in the business are Raynor and LiftMaster.
Raynor has been around for 75+ years. When it comes to the best in design, engineering, and production experience, they are the #1 choice for most garage door repair professionals.
[ Download Raynor Residential Opener Line-Up ]
LiftMaster
LiftMaster helps homeowners’ busiest entryways smarter, safer, and most certainly secure. LiftMaster garage door openers come in many types:
- Chain Drive
- Belt Drive
- Wall Mount
- Smart
LiftMaster also offers the Amazon Key App so you can start getting Amazon Prime packages securely and conveniently delivered inside your garage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about garage door opener repair.
What Causes Garage Door Hinges to Break?
In most cases, broken garage door hinges are caused by simple wear and tear.
Every time you open and shut your garage door, these hinges are put under an enormous deal of stress. Over time, the metal of the hinges (strong as they may be) breaks down little by little. And eventually, the pressure can become too much, resulting in a snap or breakage.
When your hinges do break, it can be difficult (if not impossible) to operate your door. This is the time to call the repairman.
You’ll want to be sure your hinges are made of highly durable metals like heavy steel. Thinner hinges may be lighter on the pocket at first. But their lower durability often leads to higher repair costs later.
Can a Garage Door Dent Be Repaired?
That depends on the extent of the damage.
Smaller dents can usually be repaired, either through DIY methods or by contacting a professional garage door repair company (the most successful option).
Larger dents, on the other hand, may require a new panel or complete replacement.
If your dent is so large that it prevents the opening or closing of the door, you’ll need to contact a professional.
There are a few different ways to repair smaller dents, including:
- Evening out the dent with a wood block and rubber mallet
- Using suction cups to correct the dents
- Shifting metal doors back into place by rapidly heating and cooling it
Again, a garage door opener repair specialist will be able to help you achieve the best results.
How Long Do Garage Door Springs Last?
Garage door springs are meant to last for about 7 to 9 years. However, your spring’s lifetime will depend on a number of factors.
First, there are two different types of springs: torsion and extension. In general, an extension spring will have a lifetime of around 10,000 cycles (opening or closing the door counts as a cycle).
Torsion springs tend to be a bit more expensive than extension springs. But they last quite a bit longer—anywhere from 15,000 to 20,000 cycles.
For most homes, garage doors go through four cycles per day—two while leaving for work and two when coming home. If that’s the case for you, your extension spring will last about 7 years, while your torsion spring may last up to 14 years.
That being said, the garage door is increasingly being used as a front door rather than just a carport. So your spring may not last quite as long.
Gateway Door and Contracting – The Best for Garage Door Opener Repair Near O’Fallon
If your garage door opener breaks, it can put a real damper on your week. And while some homeowners may decide to tackle the repair on their own, doing so can lead to some real problems down the line.
Instead, hiring a garage door opener repair company to do the job for you saves time, hassle, and even money in the long term. Plus, doing so is a great way to protect yourself and your family.
But finding the right garage door opener repair partner can be tough. And that’s where we come in.
At Gateway Door and Contracting, we proudly offer the highest quality garage door opener repair near O’Fallon and the surrounding areas.
Here’s how we stand out from the competition:
- Family Owned (Not a Franchise) – That means you can rest easy knowing you’re only getting the best value in products, installation, and service.
- Best Brands – We only work with the best in the industry, including Raynor, doorLink, C.H.I., Clopay, Wayne Dalton, and LinkMaster!
- Experienced Technicians – All our technicians are experienced, professional, and ready to fix your garage at a moment’s notice.
- Quality Assured – We always test and fine-tune your door for superior performance.
- Service You Can Trust – Our exceptional level of service is what led to our near-perfect reviews.
- Spot Free Cleanup – From cleaning up our supplies to hauling away your old door, we’ll leave your garage exactly as clean as we found it.
So if you’re in need of 24/7 garage door opener repair or are looking for a trusted partner for installation, be sure to get in touch with Gateway Door and Contracting today!
