Depending on how handy you are with tools will determine whether you can do this yourself or be forced to hire a handyman to do it for you. Even if you attempt to tackle this project by yourself you should have a partner nearby to assist you or in case something starts to go wrong.

Before you begin this project you need to first find the right torsion spring that will fit on your specific garage. Getting the correct size can be challenging. The length, wire size and winding diameter need to be considered so that the garage has just the right amount of torque. The torsion spring you are using also needs to be able to handle the entire weight of the garage door its helping lift. It can quickly turn into a dangerous situation if it cannot. There have been cases where the torsion spring buckled under the weight, popped and hit someone in the head. Some of these cases have been lethal.

Additionally, you need to replace both torsion springs. One side of the garage being equipped with a new torsion spring and the other having an older one will not work well. You want both springs to have an equal amount of wear on them.

To get the best price you need to shop around. Different home improvement stores will have different sales throughout the year. If you cannot find the spring you need at a local store then you can start looking online. Make sure you have accurate measurements though! There is nothing more frustrating than ordering target="_blank" href="http://garage-door-opener-parts-guide.com/">garage door opener parts, receiving the wrong ones, returning them and having to wait another week for the replacement to arrive.

When replacing garage door torsion springs you need to also check the cables, ropes and pulleys.These are intricate parts of a garage door as well and are responsible as well for raising and lowering the door. Inspecting them and fixing problems before they start is the cheapest way to go.

Take a look at the door. Thoroughly check it for stress and premature wear. Make sure it is level when it is opening and closing. Tighten screws that seem to be loose and inspect the insulation.

Look at the rails. Are they firmly affixed so the garage door pulleys do not have to work extra hard to do their job? You want your garage door to open and lower in a very smooth fashion and this is only possible by good torsion springs being able to pull the weight and lower the weight on the door.

On a final note make sure you have all the tools and equipment you need to do a good job. Place them in an area that is accessible for you. Double check your work to make sure everything is in place. With a little patience and precision you can replace your own garage door torsion spring yourself and save money in the process. For the avid DIY person it can actually be fun. But know your limitations. You do not want to put the people you love and yourself at risk in an attempt to save a couple bucks on target="_blank" href="http://garagedoorrepairresource.com/finding-a-garage-door-service-provider/">professional garage door serviceman coming out.

The first thing you need to understand is that compared to some other household maintenance issues, garage door repair is relatively simple. You, or somebody who repairs garage doors for a living, can easily check to see if the problem lies with the garage door itself, or in the door opener. Next, you or your repairman will have to determine whether the problem can be fixed, or if the garage door or opener actually needs to be replaced. So far, pretty simple, right?

The best case scenario in garage door repair is that your door is simply not hanging on its metal tracks correctly. This can be remedied as easy as tightening some loose screws on your mounting brackets. Also, you might need to hammer out a dent on your metal tracks with a rubber mallet. All these kinds of remedies are easy to complete and most of the time, you do not need to call in an expert.

In terms of your garage door opener, things can become a little tricky, especially if the issue lies in the radio receiver or motor. Of course, there may also be a simple fix-it solution to this problem as well. You may simply need to move some devices around so that the radio and motor can “speak” to each other.

However, as with anything, the problem may not be as easy as those outlined above. The metal tracks may be severely dented and beyond repair. There may exist deeper issues with your garage opener than just simply having to move some devices around. Having the basic knowledge of the simple ways to garage door repair, however, can better prepare you for any scenario.

If you liked this article I suggest you visit The Home Living Blog where you can find more about repairing your garage door and many other interesting articles.

DIY Installation

Installing a garage opener, as with similar devices, requires some amount of knowhow and access to and ability to use certain tools. Those not experienced with minor home improvements should really not attempt tasks such as this.

Carpentry skills are necessary in order to mount brackets and drill holes. In addition, the homeowner will have to have at least some basic knowledge of electricity and wiring to hook the system up, and assistance from a second person may also be needed. This is why many folk opt in the end to employ a service company or suitably qualified and authorized individual for their garage opener installation.

Hiring Someone Else

This type of installation is fairly inexpensive but prices can vary surprisingly. Contrary to popular belief, the average homeowner may actually save money by employing a contractor rather than attempting a DIY install, thus avoiding costly mistakes due to inexperience.

In some cases, this service may even be provided at no extra cost to the homeowner by the supplier. Some vendors may send a technician to the home if the garage parts and/or the opener is purchased from one of their particular store locations.

The technician will typically handle all aspects of installation of the garage door opener, including electrical wiring, assembly, and controls. Not only will the technician have specialist knowledge related to the specific opener, but they will ensure the product is tested to ensure that everything is in proper working order. This is a great option for someone looking to move past garage door rollers to a proper opener system, but who lacks the basic handyman skills.

You need to figure out what you want to use your garage space for and how much lighting you are going to need. There are some good garage ideas out there for using the extra space like making it into a workshop area, a small gym, or a game room.

Most garages don’t have very many electrical outlets and that could be a problem. You may need to put extra ones in or try to get the most out of what you have by using extension chords with multiple outlets.

You can replace the bulb you have in the center of your garage with a much brighter fluorescent light bulb. For the smaller areas of the garage you might use lights that are battery operated and can clip on to workbenches and shelves. That kind of light will not add much to the overall light in the garage however, and are good just for seeing things close up.

If you are going to be using your garage for something like a games room, you might consider track lighting to bring out that “WOW” effect. For that though, you should find an electrician to do the installation unless you have the necessary experience (and/or qualifications). Whenever you modify electricity outlets in your house, it is wise to find someone who knows what they are doing and can get it done safely.

Security concerns are generally the reason that people choose this style of garage door. They are far more secure than standard garage doors, and especially up and over wooden ones. The smaller slats make these doors much more difficult for an intruder to penetrate and get in to steal your belongings.

Most roller garage doors have the same safety features that other garage door types offer, like for example the sensor that stops and reverses the door when something passes under it or the automatic reversal feature should it close onto an obstruction.

But roller doors also have another safety feature that many people forget about; they don’t have the same large torsion springs on them that pinches many kids’ (and adults) fingers. These springs, should they break, shoot off with incredible force and can cause major damage and/or very serious injuries.

As regards appearance, roller garage doors have come a long way in the last few years. Not so long ago, adding a roller door to your home immediately made it look like an auto shop, but with new technologies that allow them to be painted or have a faux wood finish, these blend in with the style of your home very naturally.

When choosing between a standard garage door and the roller variety, choosing a roller door will provide extra safety and security to your home, without sacrificing anything where style is concerned; a the perfect combination for any garage door. The next step up of course is installing a garage door opener.

Do you have a Genie garage door system that needs to be repaired? If so, I am pleased to be able to share with you the Genie garage door opener troubleshooting guide. This guide is extremely useful as it shows you how to troubleshoot and perform your own Genie garage door opener repair.

The first thing to do when assessing your garage door system is to look at the system as a whole. What I mean by this is to examine and carry out a quick checklist on the system, looking for things such as the following. Are the springs in working order? Does the garage door opener turn on when you push the wall button? Does the garage door hang up when opening and closing? Does the chain have too much slack or is it too tight? These questions alone can often help you determine the underlying cause of your garage door system problem.

Many Genie garage door systems seem to have problems with their actual overhead motors. They are a bit temperamental at times because they have a safety cover that covers the light bulb. The thing is that when ever this cover is opened or loosened, the garage door opener has a safety mechanism which won’t allow it to run until this cover is closed. Most people sit for hours trying to figure out what is wrong with their garage door when most of the time it is this simple issue. The cover should stay tightly closed, but vibrations, wind in the garage, and other factors seem to pop this little cover loose and cause all sorts of problems for owners.

My best advise on these Genie overhead motor covers is to tape yours down well so it can’t pop loose. This is a very simple fix that works very well, so go grab the duct tape and fix it redneck style. Hopefully this brief article has helped you and will continue to help you with your garage door repairs.

Follow these links for more general information about adjusting garage door springs, replacing garage door springs and maintenance advice about Wayne-Dalton garage doors.

Remote Control:

One of the first things you should consider when purchasing an automatic garage door is the remote control unit. Some remotes have a single button, whilst some may have two or more. If you have two garage doors, then you should look for a remote control that has two buttons. These garage doors will allow you to control each door separately so that you do not have to open both at the same time.

Drive System:

The next aspect to consider when choosing an opener is the drive system. Screw systems are used to actually lift the garage door and have relatively few moving parts and so require less maintenance. Chain driven systems use a metal chain to move the door along a track. These types of garage door openers are generally less expensive, but can generate more noise than the screw variety of units and may require more maintenance.

Power:

When buying a new garage door opener the amount of power also needs to be considered. You can choose between a door with 1/3, 1/2, or 3/4 horsepower. This decision is essentially based on the weight and type of door you have. If you have a double garage door, then you should buy an opener with a minimum of 1/2 horsepower.

Speed:

Garage door openers also come in different speeds. More expensive types open the door quickly so you do not have to wait so long. However, even these garage doors will always be closed at a slower speed for safety reasons.

Lighting:

One last aspect to consider when buying a garage door opener is lighting. Some models include a security light incorporated into the opener. The light is activated when you open the garage door. Some remote controls can actually turn on the light without opening the garage door as well.

Hopefully these simple tips should help you in your research and purchase of a new garage door opener. Check out also these tips for buying a garage door.

They are also very often one of, if not the, most frequently used entrance doors into your home yet considering fitting a secure garage door somehow seems to be low on most people’s list of priorities (that is, until after they are unfortunate enough to suffer a break in, by which time it’s a bit late).

On a related theme and especially if you use your garage door as the primary entrance to your house you would be well advised to consider insulation in order to help maintain the desired temperature in the house. You can either opt to specify this up front as many garage doors provide the option to fit integral insulation or add it later using a generic garage door insulating kit.

Then there is the balance of cost and quality – if you don’t plan on staying in your property more than a few years and/or don’t use the garage doors much then cheaper or budget garage doors could easily fit the bill (in both senses). However, if your garage doors get a lot of use and you would rather not encounter “garage door repair hell” when the inevitable happens then go for the best you can afford.

So there are a number of things to balance against each other then, but essentially your start point before proceeding further is to decide what exactly you want from your garage and hence also its doors. Is this a temporary makeover or a long term investment? Do you need to consider security? Ability to withstand strong winds and/or extreme temperatures? Once you are clear about the answers to these questions then you will understand how to judge specific criteria.

So what should you look for when considering installing or replacing a garage door?

Garage Door Types

First there is the material type. This falls into three basic categories:

• Metal garage doors are far and away the most common these days accounting for some 80% of the market in America and Canada. They are invariably either steel or aluminium – steel doors being cheaper but heavier. Both should be painted with a specialist outdoor metal paint and are otherwise relatively low-maintenance apart from the inherent problem that flat metal doors tend to dent and buckle easily, which can affect both their look and operation. However, metal doors provide a good platform for adding optional features such as insulation and reinforcement.
• Vinyl and fibre-glass doors have the advantage of being both low in weight and sturdy. Again they can be painted (though some are pre-treated to a specific colour), tend to be more robust where dents and scrapes are concerned and will last for as long as the material holds out against break-down from ultra-violet light. These tend to be occupy the budget section of the market for those who have minimal requirements where their garage doors are concerned.
• Wooden garage doors go back as far as “garages” and have a classic, timeless quality. Wood is a naturally attractive, versatile and easy to maintain material which may be painted or stained to match existing timber features such as entrance doors or window. As with all wood products, the quality varies according to the specific type of wood and whether it is a composite construction (compressed fibres and laminates) or solid wood. Hence the price can also vary quite widely, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for and most people recognise that wood garage doors are best.

Wood garage doors can be anything up to ten times more expensive than a standard steel door due to the inherent costs of the material, a more involved and precise manufacturing process to assure against warps and cracks, and the simple fact that the additional weight requires the installation of much stronger (and heavier) rails and beams to support the door. This last point also effectively rules out DIY installation where wooden doors are concerned – you absolutely must invest in paying for professional installation.

The types of wood mostly commonly used to make garage doors are conifers such as Redwood, Hemlock and Cedar since these contain a high concentration of oil and thus resist condensation and rot well. It is also not unusual to find Oak used as a material thanks to it high strength and durability (slightly interesting related fact – the English navy established by Henry 8th was built using Oak).

There is however more to consider when choosing a material for your garage doors than simply issues of cost or appearance. For most people the debate usually narrows down to a choice between steel versus wooden garage doors. Sometimes the deciding factor may be out of your hands anyway though, because although wooden doors undoubtedly project an image of quality, can be reinforced to provide a high level of security (discussed later) and have good natural insulation properties, if you happen to live in an area that experiences extremes of weather (wild fluctuations in temperature or very strong winds) then you may have little choice but to opt for a specially strengthened and/or heavily insulated steel door.

Buying A Garage Door

Second you should consider where to source your chosen type of door. As with many major household items, a quality original product installed by competent fitters will ensure years of trouble free enjoyment. Accordingly, you would be well advised to check for references of previous installations and evidence that your supplier has been around a while, has a reputation worth protecting, carries full insurance, employs properly trained/accredited staff and offers reasonable warranties and after-sales support in the event that anything should go awry.

Garage doors can be purchased from large DIY stores, door and window companies and garage door specialists. Bear in mind though that the long term durability and reliable performance of your garage doors will depend crucially on the quality of the installation process as much as the doors themselves. Specialists who fit garage doors day in day out are far more likely to deliver a result that looks good and lasts from day one for many years to come.

Another reason to consider using a garage door specialist is customisation – you can have exactly what you want, in the style and size you specifically want rather than have to compromise to fit in with a standard product.

Garage Door Maintenance

Third, as with any long term purchase you need to consider the likely useful lifespan of your new doors and any maintenance issues. This is not just down to caring for the surface finish on the doors, but also bearing in mind that the mechanism for the garage door opener will need to be kept in good order.

Many people forget that although the door panel itself is the most visible element it is only one part of the overall system – “part” being the operative word. Garage door opening mechanisms use quite a few parts (springs, rollers and so on) that need to all work smoothly together otherwise the door will cease to open and close as it should.

Like many things, a garage door is only as good as its weakest part and if even a quite trivial component should fail then the whole door is compromised. How long any given part will last is measured in “cycles” where one cycle is one opening and closing of the door. Cheaper parts are often rated for 5,000 cycles, which assuming an average of 3 uses of the door per day (or roughly 1,000 cycles per year) effectively limits their life span to about 5 years.

So roughly every 5 years you can expect to call out a garage door repair specialist – or more likely suffer a spate of call outs since it won’t just be one part that has reached the end of its working life. Be aware also that adjusting garage door springs and potentially repairing or replacing door mechanism parts can be both difficult and dangerous and you should check carefully that anyone who comes to repair your doors is properly covered by valid liability and workers compensation insurance.

In the event that anything goes wrong you need to be sure that insurance will cover both damage to property and personal injury, otherwise (it being your property) you could find yourself liable and facing ruinous costs. Also, asking for proof of insurance is a good way to weed out the cowboys since reputable companies will not hesitate to provide this information if asked.

On the other hand, you could insist on parts where testing was discontinued at 80,000 cycles since they just wouldn’t fail and then you can expect quite literally a lifetime of pretty much trouble free operation. Ask your supplier to provide (in writing) the manufacturers’ cycle ratings for the parts that will be installed with your door – this is little different really to asking a car dealer about mileage.

And talking of “lifetime” it is worth understanding what many so-called “Lifetime Warranties” really mean. For example almost all steel garage doors are sold with a “Lifetime” guarantee against rust-through which is where a door rusts so badly that you can actually see through it; but in practice most people cannot stand to look at a rusting door and will paint the door long before the rust totally eats through the metal with the result that no-one in fact ever claims for rust-through. It is a worthless warranty and in reality just a sales ploy to reassure the naive and unwary.

Finally, it might be obvious but do be sure to ask about all aspects of your new garage doors before you buy and if anything doesn’t feel right then look elsewhere till you find a supplier/installer you feel comfortable with. It’s your property and your money after all.