Your garage door serves as one of the primary entryways to your home, with more than 71% of Americans using it as their main access point. This makes sense, given the fact that most people drive to and from their homes.
But what happens when the garage door suddenly malfunctions? A broken garage door can catch you off-guard at the most inconvenient times, such as when you’re rushing to work or picking up the kids from school. In moments like these, it can be tempting to roll up your sleeves and attempt to repair the garage door yourself. However, repairing a garage door without prior knowledge and experience can lead to unfortunate outcomes.
So, if you lack proper mechanical knowledge and tools, this article highlights the top 10 reasons to hire a licensed garage door repair company when your garage door doesn’t work properly.
1. Avoiding Injuries
While it may seem obvious, health and safety should be the primary concern when considering DIY garage door repair. A typical garage door can weigh several hundred pounds, supported by a high level of torque generated by the springs. Tampering with the wrong components can lead to the garage door crashing to the ground, posing a significant risk to people and objects in the vicinity.
Even professional and experienced garage door contractors are not immune to accidents. Each year, OSHA records dozens of incidents involving serious injuries and fatalities during garage door repair and installation projects. Handling heavy garage doors and complex torsion systems requires a deep understanding of how the garage door system is built and how its intricate parts relate to one another.
2. Maximizing Security
Garage doors, when damaged, can become an easy point of entry for opportunistic intruders. Additionally, a vulnerable garage door may expose the interior to unwanted pests and the elements.
A professional garage door repair company has the resources to ensure that garage doors are fixed correctly, improve security, and can properly address vulnerabilities if they exist.
3. Reducing Maintenance and Repair Costs
A quick fix from a handy family member can provide a convenient short-term solution. However, half-baked garage door repairs often result in more significant long-term damage and potentially higher maintenance costs. For instance, a garage door that is not properly balanced can have lasting effects on the garage door mechanisms, including rollers, hinges, and the door opener.
Hiring a garage door repair professional ensures that the problem is properly addressed, providing peace of mind that additional costs won’t accumulate in the near future.
4. Eligibility for Insurance Reimbursement
If your garage door is covered by insurance, most insurance companies will only reimburse you for damage if the repair is carried out by a licenced, professional garage door repair company.
Dealing with insurance companies can often be a complex process. A handyman, family member, or DIY attempt may be viewed as a liability by the insurance company, as they lack the necessary paperwork or credentials to demonstrate expertise in garage door repair.
Hiring a licensed door repair company and ensuring all the associated paperwork is in order increases the likelihood of getting reimbursed by the insurance company.
5. Lawsuits and Lability Risks
Some states, like California, have premises liability laws that require property owners to responsibly maintain their properties and ensure that other people on their property are kept safe from injuries.
If someone gets injured due to a hazard or negligence related to the garage door, the homeowner can be held liable. This exposure to liability means that homeowners can potentially face lawsuits and be required to compensate injured individuals for their damages or injuries.
6. Warranty
Garage door repair companies will often provide you with a warranty on their work and products, ensuring your peace of mind for a specified period. In a way, you’re not just paying for repairs; you’re investing in their knowledge and experience, as well as the assurance that they will re-repair your garage door if the same issues arise.
7. Saving Valuable Time
Performing your own garage door repairs can save you money. However, DIY repair projects may come with their own costs: time and frustration. Inexperience, mistakes made during the project, troubleshooting, and addressing the wrong problems can consume valuable time, lead to frustration and potentially costly damage.
8. Appearance
Whether you’re house-proud or simply prefer to maintain a certain standard, the appearance of your garage door can be important. A professional garage door repair company will ensure that your garage door looks its best, get compatible replacement parts, and can address dents or replace door sections if necessary. After all, there’s little sense in having a beautiful home and a well-kept lawn if your garage door appears neglected.
9. Expertise and Proper Diagnostics
Experienced garage door repair professionals have the necessary knowledge and expertise to address garage door problems and accurately diagnose malfunctions. They are equipped with all the necessary tools, and many are covered by liability insurance. While you may think you understand why your garage door is acting up or making a squeaking sound, it’s essential to consider whether you truly understand the underlying causes. Often, the solutions are not as simple as they may appear.
For example, if the garage door’s bearings are squeaking and sticking, you might assume that they simply need lubrication. While that could be the issue, in some cases, the bearings might be misaligned or already worn out. These issues can potentially lead to damage to the garage door or cause the door to come off its tracks, resulting in a dangerous situation.
10. Avoiding Sudden Breakdowns
Wouldn’t it be better if your garage door didn’t break down in the first place? Hiring professionals to inspect your garage door means they can often identify areas in need of essential maintenance. This proactive approach can save you both money and valuable time by addressing garage door problems early, before they worsen.
Sometimes, it may only require replacing a worn part, while other times, a little lubrication and adjustment can do the trick. A professional garage door company can help prevent sudden breakdowns and ensure that your garage doors operate safely and efficiently.
While we may be a bit biased, there’s no denying the facts and figures when it comes to the injuries and mounting costs that can quickly accumulate when inexperienced individuals attempt to repair their garage doors themselves or hire unqualified handymen for the job. Have you decided to hire a professional repairman? Learn how to find legitimate garage door repair companies and avoid fake garage door businesses.
The best part of your article for me is when you talked about how professional garage door repair company can give you an assurance that your garage door is going to be fixed properly and promptly to make you feel safe in your home. The garage door we have at home is acting up because it does not respond to the control. We had it installed for security reason, so it’s crucial for us to have it repaired right the first time. I will make sure to call a professional garage door company for help as soon as possible. Thanks!
Thanks for your tip to hire a professional to save you money because they will fix your garage door well the first time. I like how you said that hiring a pro is beneficial because they will be liable if something goes wrong. My husband and I are looking to hire professionals to repair our garage door because it hasn’t been working well lately.
Thanks for the tips on hiring a garage door repair company. We want to find someone to fix our door’s motor because it hasn’t been lifting recently. I’ll be sure to find someone who offers us a warranty for peace of mind!
Hiring a garage door repair expert will be able to help keep the appearance of the garage door at its finest and make sure that it matches the aesthetic design of the house. Beauty is one of the things that matter the most to my older sister, so you can only imagine her terror when she saw that there’s a dent in the garage door. She was asking me to fix it, but what do I know? It might be for the best to hire a garage door repair technician to fix the dent and probably see if there are any problems with the mechanism as well. Thank you.
I had no idea that about 20 thousand people visited the hospital due to garage door related injuries. My brother works in a warehouse, so he’s often around overhead doors. I’ll make sure that if he is ever asked to get the doors repaired, that he hires a profession; I sure don’t want him getting hurt.
I can see why a finding a garage door professional is smart. We’re hoping to find someone to help us fix our door because it doesn’t open when it should. Like you said, a professional will have the expertise and tools to fix that sort of thing!
Wow this garage door blog is awesome. Wish to see this much more garage door repair blogs like this. I am very inspired by your website and your blog. Thanks for sharing all that useful information.
Thanks for pointing out that letting garage door repair professionals check your garage door will reduce the instances of repairs because they will spot any developing issues. I guess we were not able to do this which resulted in the damage of our garage door. It hasn’t been opening fully which really bothers us. Good thing, our car is relatively low, so it can still pass through the door safely.
I’m sure one of the biggest reasons to hire a professional to repair your garage door is for safety reasons. It’s scary that garage doors can cause so much harm. You don’t want to end up tampering with the wrong components, like you said.
Thank you for pointing out that safety is important. My husband and I are wanting to get our garage door repaired and need to find the best company to do it. I’ll have to do some research and find the best company to do it for us.
Hiring a garage door repair professional makes sense since a professional work will surely keep the door’s operation safe and by code. Our garage door needs some work, so I’ll be sure to find someone local to help us!
That’s crazy that 20,000 people are hurt by damaged garage doors every year. That is way more than I expected. I’ll have to have someone come in to check and see that my door is safe to use.
It’s true that your garage door is one of the most important entryways in your house and broken garage doors might impose possible unfavorable consequences for your family’s safety and privacy. It’s a good thing that you mentioned the advantages of hiring professionals in the repair process. If ever that I will have issues with my garage door, I will definitely call the experts right away to have it sorted. I can’t afford to have a defective garage door in my property that can possibly attract burglary.
A nicely written article. Hiring a professional to fix your garage door means you are gonna keep the look of the door to finest, and fix the apparent and all the other issues as well. I hired Your Garage Door Guys a few times when my garage door was causing issues. They not only fixed the issue that I thought was there, but all the other issues as well, which were hidden at that moment. I would recommend them to all the people who needs to get their garage door fixed or installed.
Many garage door components are extremely dangerous. My brother-in-law is need of some garage door repairs, but lacks the experience and knowledge to do them safely. I’ll be passing this information on to him so that he can hire a professional repairman and avoid hurting himself.
Many garage door components may not be understood by the common homeowner. Calling a professional repairman is most likely the easiest and safest way to go.
Garage doors are undoubtedly a vulnerable point of entry if they become damaged. My garage door was damaged and needs to be fixed and I will definitely keep these great tips and information in mind when looking for a garage door repair company.
Half-baked garage door repairs often do more damage in the long term, so it’s better to hire a professional. My garage door has been having some issues lately and keeps getting stuck, and we’ve been trying to decide if we should hire a professional repair company to come and fix it. After learning about all of the many benefits of hiring a professional garage door repair company, I will definitely do so.
My mom has some problems with her garage door not closing. It could be really nice for her to be able to get it fixed by a professional. I’ll be sure to tell her that she should check if they have a warranty.
Made sense. I have been thinking about trying to install a new garage door by myself but I have been worried that I would end up getting hurt.
My brother recently told me that he felt there was something wrong with his garage door and couldn’t figure it out on his own. I’ll have to ask if he thought about calling a professional in our area to help diagnose the problem.
I’ve been having some problems with my garage door. I think it might be best to go with a professional for the repairs. As you said here, it would be a long-term goal of mine to not have it break so that is why I’m not doing this repair myself.
Garage doors are undoubtedly a vulnerable point if they become damaged. My husband noticed that our garage door is not working properly, and we are looking for advice. I will let him know about the benefits of hiring a garage door company to fix it before it turns into something worse.
It’s awesome that this article talked about the dangerous components of a garage door and maintaining safety. My garage door is not opening correctly and I have had to park my car outside the past few nights. I will keep these tips in mind when choosing a professional to repair my garage door.
I would never be able to do the job as well as they do. So I might as well just pay them and relax.