Mobile Garage Door Repair Service
Are you encountering difficulties with your garage door? If your garage door has been acting up, there are numerous reasons you could be having trouble. Some issues you can probably handle yourself, and others will require an expert. Since your garage door is a major part of your property’s value and curb appeal, it’s essential to hire only an expert you can completely trust. Find a consummate professional who will tell you the truth about your garage door - whether repairs are required; if so, what’s genuinely needed; or, if you ought to purchase an entirely new garage door instead; and, if so, what type is best for you.
Before you hire a garage door technician, is there anything you can do yourself? There are indeed a good number of things you can try before you hire someone to service your garage door.
1 The garage door won’t close? The photo eyes might be out of alignment. The garage door has a photo eye on each side, and between them is an invisible beam, which prevents your garage door from shutting when broken. See if they’re misaligned or grimy.
2 The garage door won’t open? The transmitter batteries could be low. Perhaps if you replace them, your garage door will open.
3 The garage door opener runs, yet the garage door still won’t move? In a power failure, your garage door opener comes with a disconnect switch, which allows you to manually open or shut your garage door. This switch, typically attached to a rope or knob, can come undone inadvertently. What you can do: First, open or shut the garage door all the way. Next, securely reattach the hook. Finally, using the transmitter, you can try opening or shutting the garage door again, and it ought to function now.
4 Does the garage door opener run a few seconds, then turn off? If the garage door still won’t move, this can occur while it’s shut and the motor tries to lift it, yet it won’t move. What you should do is check the springs first. Then, look at the track to see if there are any obstacles. Now, see if the garage door has a built-in lock that’s engaging by mistake. This frequently happens with older garage doors.
5 Does the garage door go down all the way, but then open again? It’s likely that the open-and-close limit settings of your garage door opener are on the blink. The settings tell the garage door opener how far to move before it’s fully shut. If set too high, the garage door will touch the ground before the opener estimates it should, assuming it’s hitting something in its path. If so, it will reverse so it won’t smash the object. Your operator’s manual contains instructions on how to set the open-and-close limits yourself.
6 Does the garage door open and shut at random? If the garage door opens or closes by itself, even while you’re gone, that’s more than an annoyance; that’s a security risk. But here’s what you can do: First, you can look at the transmitters to be sure they’re not stuck under an object that’s unintentionally pushing down on the control mechanism. For example, the transmitters may be underneath some forgotten items in your car, or something else close by. Otherwise, test the frequency of the transmitters. A nearby neighbor may have your same frequency.
7 If your garage door still doesn’t go up, or if it shuts quickly with a bang, then professional attention is required.
Unless you’re already an engineer, YOU SHOULD NOT TRY to repair it yourself! Be sure you know what you're getting into. Repairing a garage door or hanging a new one - and ensuring that every track, cable, and wire is installed correctly with the greatest safety, is definitely not an easy undertaking. Torsion springs, found on many garage doors, can actually cause serious bodily injury, and even death, if not dealt with properly.
Therefore, if anything more serious is happening with your garage door, it’s time to hire a garage door expert! Now what do you do?
First, ask friends, family, and colleagues for their recommendations. Word of mouth from a satisfied customer is always your best bet. If you don’t get anywhere, then you’ll have to do your homework.
Do your research. Look for garage door companies located in your area. Check your local phone book and the Internet. For each one, note the phone number and address. If there’s a street address listed, verify that the address belongs to that company so you can confirm that it’s really a local business. Using the Web, you can match addresses with telephone numbers. When you call each place, if the person answering the phone won’t tell you the full business name and its physical address, cross that one off your list and go on to the next one.
Once you have a list of potentially superior garage door companies, investigate each one scrupulously. Ask colleagues and friends if they know anything about any of the companies on your list. The Website of each company will provide you with plenty of information that’s bound to sway you one way or the other - or at least to give you a first impression. You can also consult the Better Business Bureau to check to see if there are complaints on file. You can also look to your local consumer protection agency as well as your state’s attorney general’s office.
When you have narrowed it all down to at least three, consult thoroughly with each one, asking for advice on your specific garage door issues, and see what each one tells you. It’s important that you feel comfortable with the person you choose to repair or replace your garage door and/or its components.
It’s highly favorable if the garage door repair company you choose offers you a free consultation and a free written estimate before any work begins. Moreover, the people on staff ought to have in-depth experience and knowledge of the garage door industry, as well as possess exceptional skill, and be the utmost integrity. Each staff professional ought to be trained at length, properly field-tested, and suitably certified.
After you’ve obtained three formal quotes, analyze them closely. Look at the specifics and check references, and conduct any further research necessary. Finally, compare prices, and remember that you always get what you pay for. Whatever you do, go with your gut, and you’ll eventually narrow it down to the one garage door repair company you know you can totally count on. If you follow all these guidelines, you’ll soon have a better-functioning garage door.