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Is it safe to repair your garage door yourself?

repair garage door

Is it safe to repair your garage door yourself?

When you come across an issue in your home, more often than not you’ll want to get the toolbox out and do some DIY. It’s often a good idea to save some money, but it could potentially make the situation worse, particularly in the case of repairing your garage door.

Trying to do it yourself isn’t usually a good idea! Garage doors are incredibly tricky to deal with and if you don’t fully understand what you’re doing, you’ll quickly regret starting this job yourself.

We’ve put together the reasons why getting your toolbox out for this job isn’t the best plan.

Safety

Garage doors can be lethal, and anyone with no experience opens themselves up to a variety of possible injuries.  These include the garage door falling on them (they’re heavy), the mechanism spring flying at you due to tension, or even trapping your fingers.

If you’re not a professional, it’s really easy to cause injuries to yourself or a family member when repairing a garage door.

However, if you’re confident you can carefully take the door off without suddenly breaking the tension of the springs, it could save you some money.

Damage & Quality

Most garage door parts are very easy to break. If you’re a newbie to garage doors, you’ll want to be extra careful.  There isn’t a lot of room for trial and error like with most DIY tasks. Most of the parts need to be carefully pressurized and are under a lot of tension.  This makes it more likely to cause damage to other garage door parts, or even to yourself.

You’ll likely want to make sure that your garage door is repaired to the highest possible standard, as this will ensure its longevity. Contrary to what you might think, it’s actually not that expensive to get a professional to come and repair it for you.

Time

Feeling confident enough to repair your garage door yourself?  Make sure that you take your time and make sure you don’t rush, because it can be incredibly tricky. Firstly, you’ll want to do your research around the specific garage door you have.  This will make sure that you fully understand what the issue is. The last thing you want is to replace a complicated part, and it turns out not to be the cause of the problem.

When is it time to invest in a new garage door?

There are some obvious signs that the time for repairing your garage door yet again has passed, and it’s time to invest in a new one. Do you have an older garage door that is looking like it’s seen better days?  A bit of DIY and a lick of paint might just not cut it.

Here are some of the common reasons UK households replace their garage doors:

  • They want to use their garage as an extra room (needing more insulation)
  • They need to give their home a facelift
  • The garage door is really hard to open
  • Their garage door is no longer secure

Finally, whatever your reason may be, you should carefully consider what you’re going to be using the space for in the future, because this will help guide your decision making.

We’ve even put this helpful article together around the best questions to ask yourself when buying a new garage door.