Garage Door Questions, Answered

Call, describe what the door is doing, and your technician goes over the repair with you. Your technician sets the price, schedule and warranty with you before any work starts. Have the address, the spring type and the opener brand ready so the visit is planned around your door.

Start with the address, whether the door is open, closed or partly open, and what happened first, such as a bang, a car bump or hail. Then give the spring type, door width and opener brand. The before-you-call page has the full list.

A trip or diagnostic charge, and whether it is credited toward repair, depend on the job. Your technician explains the terms on the call. Before booking, ask whether there is a fee, how much it is, and whether evening or weekend terms differ.

Common causes are worn rollers, loose hinges or track bolts, a dry or worn opener drive, and a door out of balance. Steel rollers without bearings are noisier than nylon ones with bearings. Grinding, scraping or a new bang are worth a check rather than more lubricant. See cable and roller repair.

A door that shudders usually has worn or binding rollers, a bent or loose track, or a counterbalance problem such as a worn spring or uneven cables. Run it less until it is checked, and note whether the jerk happens at the same spot each time.

HomeGuide describes a typical tune-up as an inspection, adjustment, lubrication, safety checks and minor repairs. Ask your technician exactly what the tune-up checks: spring balance, cables, rollers, hinges, track fasteners, the reversal test and the sensors. A tune-up is not a spring replacement, so ask for any parts to be priced separately.

It can be a small job on its own. The rubber seal on the bottom of the door wears, splits or freezes to the slab, and a worn one lets in water, snow and pests. Measure the door width and look for the channel the seal slides into so the right profile is brought.

Some openers support app control directly and some can use an add-on device, but compatibility depends on the brand, model and age. Copy the model number from the label on the motor unit and ask. An old unit without photo-eye sensors should be replaced rather than upgraded.

Often the bracket can be straightened and the eyes realigned so both lights are steady. Replace them if a lens is cracked, the wire is cut or the lights stay off after alignment. CPSC says the eye should sit 4 to 6 inches above the floor, so check the height after any repair.

Possible causes include a remote or keypad button stuck down, a damaged wall-button wire, a faulty logic board or a remote you no longer have that is still programmed. Unplug the opener if it keeps happening. Erasing and reprogramming the remotes is often the first step; the manual for your model explains how.

Often, yes, if there is enough headroom above the door for the torsion bar and the door's weight is known. Some homeowners convert when extension springs break. Ask your technician whether the door and ceiling suit a conversion and how the price compares with replacing the extension springs and safety cables.

It can on a door that was already near its limit. DASMA's technical note on spring life says paint or components added to a door may push its weight past the maker's specification, which shortens spring life and affects manual operation. Use a light coat of paint suited to the door material, avoid gluing on trim, and mention any refinishing on a spring call.

CPSC advises mounting the push-button wall control as high as practical on the garage wall to keep it out of children's reach, and keeping remotes away from children. It should also be placed where the person pressing it can see the door close. Ask your technician to move a low button during any opener work.

It depends on the policy and the cause. Storm damage such as hail may be treated differently from wear or a car you were driving. Photograph the damage with the date and ask your insurer. Your technician can price the repair, but the insurer decides coverage.

At the end, the door should run smoothly, close level and stay put when stopped half-open. It should reverse when it strikes a 2x4 laid flat on the floor. Ask the technician to show both checks, and keep the invoice listing the parts replaced and the warranty.

Yes. Springs, cables, rollers and openers can be replaced in cold weather, and many spring calls come on cold mornings. A bottom seal frozen to the slab may need to thaw before the door can be moved. If the door is stuck open in winter, say so on the call, because an open garage exposes the house and anything stored inside.

A one-piece door swings out and up as a single slab on springs mounted beside it; it is common on older homes. A sectional door is made of hinged sections that roll up on curved tracks. Parts, openers and safety steps differ, so say which one you have.

Usually someone needs to open the garage, describe the problem and approve the price before work starts. Ask your technician what is needed, and whether you can get a call with the diagnosis before work goes ahead. If a neighbor will let the technician in, give that person's name on the call and tell them the approved spending limit.

No. Fort Logan Garage Door does not sell doors or openers or represent a manufacturer, and brand names on these pages identify common equipment only. Ask your technician which products are installed, which parts are used and what warranty comes with them.

The place guides cover towns around Sheridan and across the Denver metro, from Brighton and Broomfield in the north to Castle Rock in the south. Give the full street address on the call rather than just a town name, so your technician can plan the visit and the repair you need.