Although it is possible to do some of your garage door repairs yourself, calling up a professional such as Direct Service Overhead Garage Door Company to inspect your doors on a regular basis is important. A normal service call should consist of a manual inspection of not only your door, but the opener as well. After a proper inspection, any adjustments needed can then be made to the tension of your chain/belt and springs, the limits and force of your door, and/or the doors lubrication. Depending on the area you’re in, the cost for these service calls may vary, but usually they run between $148 and $342.

Here are a few types of garage door repairs and their usual costs:

1. The door won’t close or open

There could be many reasons as to why your garage door would get stuck in one certain position:

·         Obstruction to your Sensor – When the system of your door has sensors installed at the base of the track, your garage door will not operate correctly if there is anything causing obstruction to your sensor. Always examine your door to ensure that there is not anything in the path of its sensors.

·         Problems with your Garage Door Opener – If you have examined your door and do not see anything obstructing the sensors, then there is another problem at hand. This problem might have something to do with the garage door opener. Usually there will be a smaller sized light on your garage door opener. If so, press it and watch for a light to come on. If you don’t see one, it is likely that you will need to install a new battery inside of the opener. This is an easy and inexpensive fix.

·         Obstruction to your Wheel Track – Close your garage door manually and check for obstruction to your wheel track. If you don’t see any, take a close look at your tracks. If you see any kind of damage such as bends and dents or uneven hanging of your door, it is important to call a professional garage door repair company to take care of the problem at hand. Repairing garage door tracks usually costs anywhere from $134 to $155. The typical cost for fixing an uneven hanging door can vary, but usually runs about $126.

2. Uneven Movement of Your Garage Door

 

Issues with Your Spring – A lot of the time, uneven and awkward movement of your garage door is because of a spring mechanism problem. If not, it’s likely due to some sort of obstruction. Normally, roll-up garage doors have single center-mounted torsion springs. These springs deal with a great amount of tension, which is why it is important to have a professional take care of any repairs that need to be done to your springs to prevent any personal injury. Replacing garage door springs can take up to three hours of work, so the average cost for these repairs can run $301 or sometimes more.

·         Issues with Your Track – When examining your garage door tracks, if you see any bending or warping even in the slightest way, it can cause your door to move unevenly or not at all. The tracks will need to be repaired or even totally replaced, depending on the severity of the damage. Typically, repairs of garage door tracks cost $134 to $155.

3. Your Garage Door Is Noisy When You Open or Close It  

If you are hearing any noises at all, such as grinding, squealing, or screeching, when your garage door is moving, it usually indicates that the door either needs lubricant or there is a present buildup of dirt in the tracks. It is important that you do not use harsh chemicals when cleaning out the dirt from your doors tracks. When you’ve gotten the track clean, be sure to place a coating of specialty lubricant that is specifically designed for garage doors in the track of your door. If you don’t have any of this kind of lubricant on hand, replace it with WD-40 for now. Be sure to apply it to the hardware of the door as well.

After following these steps, if the garage door is still making loud noises while moving, call a professional garage door repair company immediately. The usual cost for track repairs is $156.

4. Your Garage Door Lets Down Really Fast

If your garage door lets down really fast, faster than normal, or if it bounces around while you’re using it, the cause is more than likely broken cables or chains. It is best to call a professional to get this repair taken care of. Although the chains and cables are pretty inexpensive, it can take some time to install them. The usual cost for a repair like this is $151 to $201.

More Garage Door Issues and Their Average Costs

Here are more garage door issues that can arise, specified by the type of garage door you own:

Broken Glass in your Garage Door:

The price of glass is relatively inexpensive, therefore the main cost of the repair is the time it takes to do the work needed to replace your door. The glass will be anywhere from $26 to $51, and the labor will take about an hour and cost about $76.

Blemishes and Bends:

Many dings in your garage door can be easy DIY projects. Some dents, however, may be a little too large and you will need to call a professional to take care of the job. These kinds of repairs will also take about an hour and cost around $76.

Replacement of the Circuit Board:

When your circuit board is damaged and needs to be replaced or your remotes need reprogrammed, you can expect to pay around $101.

Replacement of your Rollers:

Broken garage door rollers may be fixed for about $11 to $16 each.

Replacement of your Hinges:

You can have your hinges replaced for about $11 a piece.

How the Style of your Garage Door Can Affect the Cost of the Repairs

                When choosing a garage door, the goal is to have both your door and house matching. Although, the style of your garage door can affect the cost of the repairs they may need. There are many different garage door styles to pick from. Below is a short outline of some commonly used garage door styles and their pros and cons:

• Sectional: Otherwise known as a panel door that is raised, these doors are the most popular. They are made up with several horizontal panels that have been hinged together with wheels, and mounted in a track. These doors take up a rather small bit of space and you can easily control them using a standard remote door opener at minimal cost, which is one of the biggest reasons why these doors are the most commonly used. The moving parts on these doors are easily accessible, and in turn can prevent some repair costs. On average it costs $129 to repair a sectional door.
• Carriage: Carriage doors give the impression of doors found on old carriage houses in the olden days. These doors are highly sought after in the Southwest and Western parts of the U.S. because of this. They swing open the same as large French doors and dangle from doorposts on hinges. Since they are so unique looking, they generate space for eye appeal for your home, as well as save on energy due to their high efficiency. The only reasonable cons to these types of doors are that they take up quite a bit of space to work correctly and most carriage doors are made up of mostly wood, therefore you might have to replace rotting wood often. The average cost for these carriage-style door repairs is $134.
• Traditional Door with One Panel: These types of garage doors are made up of one huge panel that opens with a tilt, through a spring mechanism that springs it upward. The wooden version of these doors is very sought after in the South and Southeastern parts of the United States, partly because the climate there is a better fit for these doors and slows deteriorating of the wood. Designs of these traditional garage doors include Colonial, Craftsman, Cape, Tudor, and Ranch styles. These doors also have a little disadvantage, being that they take up quite a bit of space as well in order to operate correctly. Repairs of these doors can often be quite difficult due to the extreme heaviness and unreachability of the doors. The usual cost for repairs on tilt-up doors is $173.

Overall, the most affordable types of garage door are the tilt-up style doors. Next in line would be the single roll-up, with custom roll-up doors on the more expensive end. The most expensive types of garage doors would be the solid wood custom doors.

How Are Materials a Factor in the Cost of a Garage Door?

                The material your garage door is made from is a huge factor in the cost of a garage door. Not only the overall cost, but repairs of the doors as well. If you’re looking to cut down on the cost of repairs, choose a garage door material that fits well with the climate in your area. Below is a brief overview of the different types of materials used in garage doors and their average costs:

• Wood – Wooden garage doors are heavy duty and very appealing. Although, if the area you live in has a humid climate, your garage doors will definitely rot and split over time due to moisture buildup. If you are wanting to paint your wooden garage door, it will need to be touched up pretty often so be sure to factor that into the repair costs. Repairs for wooden garage doors are dependent on the type you have, but on average it costs $191 to $216 to repair a wooden garage door.
• Steel – If you have a home in an area where hurricanes and such are known to hit, it is best that you go with a steel garage door. If the area you live in is prone to high winds, you might be required to have your door reinforced for maximum safety. The downside is that steel doors can rust up. The average cost to repair a steel garage door is $136 to $156.
• Aluminum – Reliable and light, aluminum doors are good for humid, coastal areas because they are not prone to rot or rust. The downside of these garage doors is that they can be expensive to repair, although they won’t need to be repaired often. The average cost for repairs on aluminum doors is $177 to $201.
• Fiberglass – Fiberglass doors are a good option if you live somewhere where the climate experiences extreme temperatures. It can take extremely hot and cold temperatures with no damage and it also helps to insulate your garage. Fiberglass is highly durable and will not split. Typically, the cost to repair fiberglass garage doors is relatively low, running $149 to $166.

Whatever material you choose, you will probably have some sort of regular maintaining to do. A professional garage door company can come out and take a look at your door regularly, examining the usual problem areas to be sure that they are all working properly. Also, you should check out the integrity of the overall door, being that your garage door could be unsecure if not structurally correct.

What About the Finish of Your Garage Door?

                If you put in a new garage door and its color doesn’t match the color of the outside of your home, you may end up preferring to paint or refinish the door.

• If you have a steel door, but want the finish of your garage door to look like a wooden door, you don’t have to get a whole new door. A great paint job will get your steel door mimicking that of a wooden. If you’re not sure about the type of paint and brushes to use on your door, get in touch with your local hardware store for advice.
• Wooden garage doors will more than likely come with the necessity to refinish often, because of their vulnerability to weather damage. A professional painter can, however, weather seal your door to possibly protect it from further weather damage after restoring the door to like new.
• If you choose to add or take away any windows from your garage door, it is important to take into effect the fact that any panels you add have to be a perfect match as far as dimensions go. This is because uneven paneling of a garage door will hinder the easy performance of the door.

A Summary in Short:

Garage doors are one of the main ways into your home, therefore it is especially important to keep it maintained and choose the best fitted door for you home. Not only for your safety, but also for optimal reliability and ease. To lower the amount of repairs you might run into, choose the correct style and materials. It can be more expensive in the long run if you don’t choose the right door for you, you will be basically investing in long-term maintenance. While we often like to think we can do everything ourselves, it is best to call a professional to take care of any major garage door repairs. Most of the time, the company charges you for at least an hour of labor no matter how short the service call. Although, the benefits of having a professional do the job outweigh the risks of doing it yourself.