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Dangers of DIY Garage Door Repair

We currently are living in a time where DIY (Do-It-Yourself) projects are a very popular trend. People can save money by choosing to do projects themselves, whether it is building a bed frame out of pallets or designing a Halloween costume for the upcoming season. However, there are some jobs that are much more complicated to do yourself and should be left to professionals — repairing your garage door is one. Even though there are plenty of tutorials on Youtube and other social media channels, repairing your garage door is not something you should consider a DIY project. In most cases, repairing a garage door without the help from a professional can not only end up costing more but also come with multiple risks, that could cause severe damage or injury. Let’s look at a few reasons why repairing your garage door yourself could be a costly decision.

Don’t Make Your Problem Worse Than It Is

We feel it’s necessary to start with this: When you decide to repair your garage door yourself, you may make the situation worse. With years of experience in the industry, we’ve seen simple fixes turn into costly damage and repair. Repairing garages isn’t a simple task; should something go wrong with a DIY repair, you will only cause more damage. Plus, in addition to causing damage to your garage door and opener, you’re also increasing the risk of damaging items inside the garage, including personal items, vehicles, and other belongings.

Wrong Use of Tools

One of the biggest problems that occur when people try fixing their garage door openers is not having access to the appropriate tools that are needed. In fact, most garage door repairs require specific tools that not all homeowners own. In most cases, people will try to repair their opener with the tools they have, even though they aren’t right for the job. Using the wrong tools to perform a repair can increase the chances of extending the damage of the garage door and opener, and can end up ruining your tools. And do we even need to mention the improper use of power tools? Did you know that power tool injuries account for as many as 400,000 annual emergency room visits? Yikes! Doing a garage door opener repair yourself can be dangerous, but using the wrong tools only increases the risks.

If It Isn’t Broken Don’t Fix It

A common problem with DIY garage door repairs is that most people don’t have the necessary knowledge to properly fix their problem. Although garages seem fairly simple there are some parts and repairs that require a professional understanding. Attempting to fix a problem without having the knowledge or doing the necessary research could result in you trying to fix the wrong part or component. This could end up being a huge waste of time and money!

The Risk of Falling

Garage door repairs often require working higher up or closer to the ceiling. Not having the proper equipment and training can lead to a fall that can seriously injure someone. Even if you have a ladder, there is still a risk of falling if you do not know what you are doing. Professionals have the needed equipment and training to perform successful repairs.

Torsion Springs

The two most common garage door spring systems are torsion and extension systems. Although both have proven to be a reliable option for homeowners, they can be very dangerous when doing a repair. With most garage doors, you can find the torsion springs mounted horizontally above the opening of the door. These springs are tightly wound, causing them to be under extreme tension. If a spring were to break during a DIY repair, it could violently send pieces flying, putting yourself at risk.

In addition to people purchasing the wrong springs for a repair,  it seems that most people who try to place the torsion springs themselves usually have to end up calling a professional because they are much more complicated to deal with than they seem. Garage door repair services have a proper understanding of torsion springs and how they work; leave it to them for the replacement!

Collapsed Garage Door

Garage doors are extremely heavy. In fact, the common garage door weighs somewhere between 200-500 pounds! The bottom line is garage doors are very heavy. Do-it-yourself repairs could cause the heavy door to fall off the track and cause serious damage to whatever is in its path, including vehicles, the floor, and even more damage to the door itself. When it comes to DIY garage door repairs, there are a lot of common ways that you could cause your garage door to completely collapse, including improper disconnection of the garage door restraints. Professional garage door repair services know the proper precautions to follow so that your garage door doesn’t collapse and cause even more damage.

Contact Garage Door Doctor Today!

If you have a problem with your garage door, we don’t recommend turning it into a weekend do-it-yourself project. Trying to repair a garage door without having the professional knowledge and experience could end up causing costly damages and injuries. If you have a problem with your garage door or opener in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas, contact the professionals at Garage Door Doctor! We provide same-day service and appointments so you don’t have to wait or try to perform the repair yourself. Don’t risk damage or injury, call Garage Door Doctor today for all of your garage door repair needs!

Common Reasons Why Your Garage Door Isn’t Working

Why isn’t your garage door opening and closing like it should?

You rely on your garage door opener for one thing: to let you in and out of your garage when you need to. And when it isn’t working like it should, it can be incredibly frustrating. Although this could indicate a serious problem, it might also be a sign of something small that you can easily fix yourself. Here are some of the most common reasons why your garage door isn’t opening and closing like it should:

#1. Something is in the sensor’s path.

As the largest moving piece of equipment inside your home, your garage door has a lot of potential for danger. Garage doors can exert a great deal of force, and it’s important that they will reverse their path if something, or someone, gets in it. In 1982, garage door manufacturers started adding automatic reversing mechanisms to every door, and in 1993, federal law began requiring that they also include photoelectric eyes that would reverse the door when anything entered into its path. When your garage door won’t close, the first thing you should do is make sure that the path of those sensors is clear.

#2. The photo eyes aren’t aligned properly.

In any garage door made after 1993, there are two photo eyes that are aligned on either side of the entrance. An invisible beam is transmitted between the two eyes, and when something gets in the track of that beam, it causes the garage door to reverse. Either of those two sensors could get knocked out of place, and if one sensor cannot connect with the other, it’s designed to act as if something is in its path, and your garage door won’t close.  The two sensors have to be lined up exactly in order to work correctly, so if one of yours becomes misaligned, you might need to use a laser level to correct the issue.

#3. The batteries in your transmitters might be dead.

Garage door transmitters, or remote openers, are battery powered, and like any batteries, they can die. When your garage door won’t open or close, changing the batteries in your transmitters might be a good place to start. But first, try all of the transmitters you have, including the one you have on the wall inside of your garage, as well any you have in your vehicles. If one of them doesn’t work, then it’s pretty clear that you should replace the batteries, but if they all don’t work, then you’ve probably got another kind of problem on your hands.

#4. The disconnect switch has been enabled.

When you try to open or close your garage door, does the motor run, like it always does, but the door doesn’t move? If so, check to make sure that the disconnect switch has not been enabled. Every garage door opener is equipped with a disconnect switch, and in most garages, you enable it by pulling a rope or turning a knob on the underside of your garage door opener. This switch makes it possible to manually open and close your garage door in the event of a power outage, but it can accidentally get unhooked, disconnecting the motor from the garage door. If you’ve found that your disconnect switch has been enabled, simply open your garage door completely and then reattach the hook.

#5. The springs are broken.

Garage doors utilize springs that make it possible for them to close slowly. Without these springs, garage doors would slam shut, making them a safety hazard to anything or anyone underneath. Garage door springs will usually last about 10,000 cycles, which is typically between three and five years. A garage door can last up to three times as long, so broken springs are a pretty common problem. If your garage door has slammed shut, then there’s a good chance you have a broken spring on your hands. Do not attempt to try to replace a garage door spring on your own. These springs hold enough pressure to support the entirety of your garage door’s weight, and they can cause serious injury, or even death, if they are handled improperly. Always call in a professional for broken garage door springs, and make sure that you avoid trying to open or close your garage door until the spring is fixed.

#8. The limit settings weren’t properly programmed.

Every garage door has its own limit range. This range is the distance your garage door has to travel in order to be fully closed. If the limit range settings are higher than they should be, when you close your garage door, it will hit the ground before it thinks it’s closed, and then reverse, assuming something is in its path that shouldn’t be. In most cases, this issue only ever arises with new garage doors, but over time, older models may need to be reset as well.

#9. The power source has become disrupted.

Your garage door opener has to be plugged into a working outlet in order to open and close your garage door. If it becomes unplugged, or if the circuit breaker gets tripped, your garage door won’t work. To make sure the outlet is working, try plugging something else into it. If it’s not working, then you already know what the problem is!

As you can see, in a lot of cases, you can tackle a garage door that won’t open or close on your own, but if a spring is broken, or none of these problems apply to your situation, don’t hesitate to give us a call! We offer garage door repair in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. Contact us today for your free quote.

Nine Things Every Garage Needs

Garages are a place that tend to accumulate a lot of the unwanted boxes, furniture, and other household items that we’re trying to get out of our homes. However, there are certain things that you want to ensure you have in your garage in order to keep your home and property running efficiently. Here at Garage Door Doctors, we believe that in order to get the most out of your garage, you should have a garage door that functions properly. If you want to keep items in your garage, it’s important to be able to get them out with ease. If you’re currently not using your garage because you’re in need of garage door repairs for your Indianapolis home, don’t hesitate to call us to schedule an appointment. Once your garage door is operable, make sure you have the following nine things in your garage.

Nine Garage Essentials

A Workbench

Having a workbench in your garage will come in handy more than you’d think. Whether you need to put a household item together or sand a piece of wood for a project, you’ll be thankful you don’t have to sit on the floor to do it.

A Toolbox

Instead of having a drawer in your home dedicated to your measuring tape, screwdrivers, and hammer, get a proper toolbox to organize your tools and have easy access to them.

Shelves

The garage is great for storage, but it can get overwhelming when you start stacking things on the floor and on top of each other. Shelves will ensure everything has a home and you can get into each storage bin without a problem.

Storage Tubs

Clear, plastic storage tubs are ideal to store things in within your garage. You can take things one step further and add labels to ensure you know exactly what’s in each box.

Storage Locker

For items that you might not want to put in storage bins, but would benefit from covered storage, a locker is a great way to have a specified space for each item that is easy to get to.

Recycling Bin

The trash can in the kitchen already takes up enough space, add a recycling bin by the door in your garage and save space inside your home.

A Vise

If you haven’t heard of a vise before, you’re missing out. A vise is something you can set on your workbench that will hold things in place as you work on them.

Extension Cord

No home is complete without an extension cord, so instead of piling it on the floor of the coat closet, give it a home in the garage on its own hook.

Hooks

Speaking of hooks, they will come in handy for a number of things. Add simple nails or more complex hooks to the wall, whatever you use, you can hang shovels, extension cords, brooms, and so much more from hooks to save space on the floor.

We’ve really only begun to skim the surface of essential items to keep in your garage, but we know you probably won’t use your garage as much as you could if your garage door isn’t working. For garage door repairs in Indianapolis, Mooresville, Westfield, and other surrounding locations, call Garage Door Doctor today.

How To Make The Most Out Of Your Garage Space

Having a garage is a luxury that not all people have. If you have a garage, but if it’s become a place of stacked boxes and old furniture you don’t want, you’re not making the most out of your garage space. Here at Garage Door Doctor, we’ve found that one of the main reasons people let old belongings gather in their garage is due to a broken garage door that they’ve never had repaired. If you’re in the same boat as many other households, don’t wait any longer to call us now to schedule your garage door repairs in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. If you live in Avon, Brownsburg, McCordsville, and even Zionsville, you’re still within our service areas. Once you have your garage door repaired, you can implement our following tips for how to make the most out of the space in your garage.

Top Tips For Your Garage Space

Tools And Lawn Care

The most common items found in garages are usually tools and lawn care essentials. Instead of just leaning the majority of these items against the walls in your garage, make the most out of your space by adding wall hooks. Your weed whacker, ladder, rake, extension cord, and shovel are all things that can be hung from the wall instead of taking up valuable floor space. If you don’t have a tool box and your hammer, screwdriver, and level are all thrown into a box that’s also kept on the ground, invest in a toolbox or shelves and totes that you can organize.

Seasonal Clothes And Decorations

If you don’t have a crawlspace or basement, the garage may be the perfect place to keep seasonal clothes and decorations. These are items that are prone to be thrown into boxes and stacked on each other in the garage, which usually makes it impossible to find what you need. In order to, at the very least, get these boxes off of the floor, installing shelves along the walls of your garage is the best way to organize the boxes. Add labels to each box so you will know what’s in any given box.

Food And Drink Storage

If you’re constantly finding that your refrigerator and pantry are overflowing with food and drinks, it may be time to add additional storage for these items in your garage. Once you start organizing your garage and making more room, it probably won’t be hard to find the space for an extra refrigerator and shelves for food storage. Keeping beverages in the refrigerator along with meats in the freezer is the best way to free up space in your kitchen refrigerator. You can also keep all of your non-perishable items such as canned goods and box meals in the garage.

Miscellaneous

We know that you probably have a variety of miscellaneous items that need a home, and they may currently be stacked in your closet or the laundry room. In addition to the other shelves and storage bins you have in your garage, consider installing separate shelves to keep miscellaneous items such as luggage, sports equipment, and other household items. You can even add more wall hooks to keep things like your broom, dust pan, and ironing board in the garage.

When you make the most of your garage space, you’ll not only have a clean, organized garage, but you’ll also free up space in the rest of your home. If you’re not using your garage due to a broken garage door, call Garage Door Doctor now to schedule your garage door repairs in Indianapolis.

How To Safely Park In Your Garage

While most people would like to think that they would never accidentally back their car into their garage door, or perhaps even pull too far into their garage and run into the wall, accidents happen. If you’re in need of garage door repairs, call Garage Door Doctor in Indianapolis. We offer garage door repairs for homes and commercial properties in Indianapolis and the surrounding areas. Today, we’d like to go over some of our top tips for safely parking in your garage to avoid accidents and to help you prevent damage to your car or garage.

Top Tips For Safely Parking In Your Garage

Install A Laser Sensor

Laser sensors are available to install in your garage on the ceiling. The sensor will send out a laser beam that will guide your car into the garage and tell you where to stop. Laser sensors are available for garages that have one or two places to park, so each driver can benefit from the help of the laser sensor. Alternatively, you can find sensors that you mount on your wall which will stay green as you pull in until you reach the specified parking spot.

Use A Mat Or Tire Stop

If you’d rather use something a little less technical, you could always opt for a mat that you can place on the floor of your garage that you will pull onto, letting you know that you have reached your ideal parking spot. If you think that a mat would be too subtle for you, you can place something similar to a concrete stop used in parking lots on the floor of your garage.

Hang A Bouncy Ball From The Ceiling

If you’re looking for a tried-and-true method of knowing exactly where to park in your garage, you can opt for the old-school method of hanging a ball from your ceiling. So you know where to hang the ball from, park your car in the ideal place in your garage, and then put a hook in the ball and tie a string to it, hang the ball from the string directly above the windshield of your car. The ball should touch the middle or bottom of your windshield when you pull into the garage.

Avoid Backing Into Your Garage

While the previous tips are great options that will prevent you from pulling too far into your garage, it’s important to take precautions that will keep you from accidentally backing into your garage door when it’s closed. The best way to prevent this is to always open your garage door from your wall opener before you get into your car. This way, your garage door will always be open before you get into your car, and you won’t have a chance to start your car and back up without thinking about the fact that you haven’t opened the door yet.

We hope that these tips are helpful, and give you some good ideas on how to safely and effectively park in your garage. Should you ever accidentally run into your garage door, or need any other garage door repairs, call the Garage Door Doctor for all of your garage door repairs in Indianapolis.

Garage Door Preventative Maintenance Tips

If you park your car in your garage, it is likely that you are opening and closing your garage door numerous times a day. Normal wear-and-tear is expected when you use an object on a regular basis, however, how many people are checking their garage door systems to ensure that they are functioning correctly? Here at Garage Door Doctor, we know that the majority of people are not taking the proper precautions for preventative care when it comes to their garage door systems. If you’d like your garage door to last for as long as possible and for your garage door system to work in perfect harmony, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your garage door is getting the attention that it needs. And If you are in need of garage door repairs in Indianapolis, Garage Door Doctor can help!

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Top Tips For Garage Door Preventative Maintenance

#1. Watch as your garage door opens and closes.

We know that watching a garage door open and close may not be one of your top priorities, however, by observing your garage door and the way that it opens and closes, you can actually tell a lot about the functionality of your garage door system. Does your garage door jerk or make squealing noises? These things aren’t normal and they could indicate a problem with your garage door. If your garage door vibrates as it opens and closes, this could indicate that a roller bracket or bolts may be loose. You should either tighten these parts or call a professional to help you tighten these parts as soon as possible to reduce the amount of damage the problem will cause.

#2. Lubricate the moving parts of your garage door.

White lithium grease is recommended for a garage door lubricant that can be used for the chain and the screw on the opener. A spray lubricant can be used for the overhead chain. You can also lubricate the track that your garage door is set on to ensure that it opens and closes as smoothly as possible.

#3. Clean your garage door tracks.

If there is dirt, debris, or other items clogging the tracks that your garage door operates on, it could cause problems such as your garage door becoming unbalanced or the likelihood of your garage door malfunctioning. Check your garage door tracks on a monthly basis and use a toothbrush to clean the tracks if you need to remove dirt and debris.

#4. Know when to call a professional.

If your garage door seems to be exerting more effort than it normally would to open or close or if the cables appear to have broken strands or damage, call a professional to come and inspect the problems. Cables and springs can be dangerous if they snap or break, so these parts should always be dealt with by a trained garage door technician.

Paying attention to your garage door and giving it the attention that it needs can add years to its lifespan. If you should find that you need garage door repairs in Indianapolis, call the Garage Door Doctor for the help you need. Schedule your appointment today!