DIY vs Professional Garage Door Repair
Not every garage door issue needs a technician. Some simple maintenance tasks are safe for any homeowner. Others - particularly anything involving springs, cables, or an off-track door - should never be attempted without professional training and tools. Here is the complete breakdown.
✓ Safe to Do Yourself
- Lubricate hinges, rollers, and springs with garage door lubricant spray
- Tighten loose bolts on door panels and track brackets
- Clean photo-eye sensors with a soft cloth
- Re-align photo-eye sensors if the door reverses for no reason (adjust until indicator lights are solid)
- Replace remote batteries
- Reprogram a remote or keypad (instructions in opener manual)
- Clear ice or debris from the door bottom seal in winter
✗ Always Call a Professional
- Replacing or adjusting torsion or extension springs
- Replacing broken or frayed cables
- Putting a door back on track after it has come off
- Replacing rollers on a door with broken springs
- Any repair where the door is stuck open and won't close
- Replacing the bottom seal when the door is severely warped
- Opener gear or logic board replacement
Why Springs and Cables Are So Dangerous
Torsion springs are wound under extreme tension - enough to lift 150–300 lbs of door weight. A single spring failure or improper release can cause the winding bar to fly across the garage at speed. Each year thousands of people are injured attempting DIY spring repairs. The repair itself costs $200–$350 professionally. An ER visit costs considerably more.
Cables work in tandem with the springs and are also under significant tension. A snapping cable can cause the door to drop suddenly, damaging the opener, the door, and anything underneath it.
The One-Year Maintenance Routine
Here is what we recommend homeowners do once per year:
- Apply garage door lubricant to all hinges, rollers, the torsion spring, and the opener's chain or screw (not belt drives - belts do not need lubrication)
- Visually inspect cables for fraying
- Check that the door is balanced - disconnect the opener, lift the door manually to waist height and let go. It should stay in place. If it falls or rises, the springs need adjustment
- Test the auto-reverse - place a 2x4 flat on the ground under the door and close it. The door should reverse when it contacts the board
- Check the weather seal along the bottom for cracks or gaps
Leave it to us - we fix it right, every time.
Serving Philadelphia, South Jersey, and Delaware. Same-day service available.