Home/Garage doors
Doors and openers
Garage Doors — problems, causes and costs
Most garage door trouble is balance, hardware or the opener’s safety system, not the door panel. Everything we have on garage doors: what fails, why, what it costs, and which of it you can handle without calling anyone.
The opener doesn’t lift the door. The springs do. The opener only guides a balanced door up and down. That’s why a broken spring stops everything, and why it’s the one repair you should never attempt yourself.
Torsion springs, extension springs and the lift cables hold enormous stored tension. Adjusting, unwinding or replacing them without training and the right tools can cause serious injury. If a spring is broken or a cable is frayed, leave the door closed, don’t use the opener, and call a garage door professional.
1Start here
2How garage doors fail
| Failure | Usual cause | First thing to do |
|---|---|---|
| Loud bang, door won’t lift | A broken spring | Stop using the opener and call a pro. Don’t try to lift it by hand. |
| Door reverses or won’t close | Photo eyes blocked, dirty or out of alignment | Clear the path, wipe the lenses, and line the sensors back up |
| Grinding, shudder or loud travel | Worn rollers, dry hinges, or an aging opener drive | Inspect rollers and hinges; lubricate moving parts per the maker |
| Frayed cable or a gap at one side | Cable wear at the bottom drum | Leave the door closed and call a pro |
| Drafts, water, dust at the bottom | A hard, cracked bottom seal or a heaved slab | Replace the seal; check whether the slab has moved |
| Dents, rust or rot | Hail, wind, water at the bottom section | Document storm damage; repair or replace the affected section |
3Problems by age of home
The same door problem shows up differently depending on when the house and garage were built. Find your era below.
Homes built before about 1940
Homes built roughly 1940 to 1980
Homes built roughly 1980 to 2000
Homes built since 2000
Any age of home
4What garage door work costs
The price moves with what failed: springs and cables, rollers and hinges, the opener, or door sections. It also depends on the door’s size and weight, whether it is insulated, how many springs it uses, and whether parts are still made for it. Opener work and sensor fixes are often small. Spring and cable work is always a pro job.
5Garage door FAQ
Can I replace a garage door spring myself?
No. Springs and cables hold enormous stored tension and can cause serious injury. Leave spring and cable work to a trained garage door professional.
Why does my door go back up as it closes?
Usually the photo-eye sensors near the floor are blocked, dirty or knocked out of line. Clear the path, wipe the lenses, and re-aim them until the indicator lights are steady.
My door is noisy. Does it need replacing?
Usually not. Noise most often comes from worn rollers, dry hinges or an aging opener drive. Those parts can be serviced or replaced on their own.
Is hail damage to a garage door covered by insurance?
Damage from a specific storm may be. Photograph dents with the date before repairs, and mention the door when the roof is inspected.
Written by Jaylan Jones. I Like To Exterior Services earns a referral fee when a call connects to a contractor. See our business-model disclosure.
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