Maintenance and Repairs

If your garage door is noisy or jerky, you may need a garage door tune-up! Our preventive maintenance tune up will include lubrication of all moving parts on the garage door, checking the safety reversal system for proper alignment, checking the door for proper balancing, tightening hinges and bolts if needed, answering any questions you may have, and giving guidance on ways to maintain the door over the years. We recommend a tune up once per year to help the door operate at its best, reduce noise, and catch any potential hazards.

Additional ways to reduce noise:

• Upgrading to a whisper belt drive opener

• Upgrading the rollers to steel ball bearing, nylon coated, commercial grade rollers

A broken spring is one of our most common repairs. Springs will eventually, inevitably break, depending on quality and usage. If a spring is broken, it must be replaced right away. The springs are what do the lifting of the door, and if one is broken, it will either not open at all or (if there is a back up spring) may cause severe damage to the opener due to excessive weight or potentially throw the door off track due to improper balance. At O’Brien, we install high quality, commercial grade springs for your peace of mind and optimal functionality.

Common Questions:

Should I replace two springs if one is broken? We normally recommend replacing both springs if one is broken to avoid additional costs and service calls. The springs were most likely installed at the same time and have the same life-cycle. It is likely the second one will break soon after and result in another service call and labor charge. The weaker spring may also put more strain on the new spring.

Should I perform a spring repair on my own? We very highly recommend a professional perform the repair due the tremendous high torque and pressure on the spring system that may result in serious injury if not done properly and with the proper tools.

Should I replace a spring that is not broken yet? If a spring is near the end of its lifecycle, it may be beneficial to change it before it breaks so that you do not end up trapped inside or outside of your garage. A broken spring can also throw a door off its tracking.

When a garage door comes off its track, our technicians will not only put the door back on its tracking properly but also make sure all moving parts are in alignment such as the cables, drums, rollers, springs, pulleys, and more so that it does not come off its tracking again in the immediate future.

Are you having problems with your garage door opener remote controls or outside keypad? Perhaps your door is reversing or has just stopped working? We are here to help! Our technicians will come stocked with most major name brands to replace with brand specific parts for peak performance. Liftmaster Professional, Chamberlain, Genie, to name a few. We carry parts such as remotes, keypads, safety sensors, sprockets, gears, wall switches, circuit boards, and if we do not have what you need, we can most likely get it ordered if it is still manufactured. If you prefer to change your opener instead, we install the highest quality openers in the industry!

Reasons you might replace vs repair:

·       You would like to upgrade due to noise reduction, you need a stronger opener, or you are interested in having the latest technological and safety features.

·       The opener is near the end of its lifecycle and/or may need costly repairs that are close to or more than a new opener

·       Repair is not possible because replacement parts are no longer manufactured

It is very important that a door is properly balanced and the springs are properly tensioned as to prevent the door coming off its tracking or causing damage to the system. Our technicians will arrive ready to inspect your entire system and make sure cables are spooled on the drums correctly, springs are tensioned properly, the correct springs are on the door, and the door is perfectly balanced. Please note: if springs are losing tension, more often than not, it is a sign the springs are nearing the end of their lifecycle. If this is the case, our technicians may recommend replacing vs re-tensioning because an older spring is likely to break soon after or during the process of re-tensioning. If the springs are replaced while there the first time, it will avoid your being trapped inside or outside of your garage when it breaks, a potential door off track, and additional costs of another service call.

Are the hardware parts on your door brittle, rusted, or broken? We recommend changing these crucial moving parts when they are showing signs of wear and tear before breakage to prevent unnecessary damage to the door system. We carry solid steel, commercial grade, hinges, rollers, drums, cables, brackets, torsion tubes, etc to help prolong the life of your garage door system! These parts are the “bones” of your garage door and are just as important as, if not more important than, the door itself in terms of functionality.

Tip: Keeping pool chemicals and salt far from the garage door tracking and system will help to prevent rust and decay to the steel mechanisms of the door.

About some of our parts:

·       Commercial grade, oversized, steel hinges that bind the panels together

·       Commercial grade, heavy duty steel bearings, drums, cables, pulleys, torsion tubes

·       Solid steel, ball-bearing, nylon coated rollers for quiet and smooth operation

Importance of rollers: Having a high-quality roller is very important as they endure a lot of wear and tear. Rollers will break down over time and may need replacement. There are many different qualities of rollers on the market. Having a high-quality roller will help the door run more smoothly, quietly, and optimally over the years.

Is one panel of your garage door damaged and you prefer not to change the whole door? In many cases, we are able to have a specific panel ordered and installed. Please feel free to reach out to our door specialist team today to get pricing and availability or have one of our experts come to the home to gather all the details such as the manufacturer, model, color. A few common manufacturers are C.H.I. Overhead Door, Door Link, Haas Door, Mid America, North Central Door, Amarr, Raynor, Wayne Dalton, but chances are, even if different than these, if the panel is still manufactured, we can get it for you and have it installed.

Reasons to consider a new door instead:

·       The panel is no longer manufactured

·       More than one panel is damaged, and the cost is close to or exceeds that of a new door

·       You are looking to upgrade your door for curb appeal or due to its age or condition

Interested in a new door? Reach out to our door specialists and receive one-on-one guidance!

Do you have small gaps around or under the door and feel it needs to be sealed better? Do you have wind, water or pesky critters coming through? We carry a variety of bottom weatherstripping seal as well as vinyl trim that goes around the perimeter of the door to seal up small gaps and help keep the elements at bay. Our vinyl trim comes in various colors to match as best as possible to your door and color scheme. Please note: If the ground is not level due to  a foundation issue and there is a gap on one of the door and not the other, weather seal may not fix this issue. You may consult with a technician to see if the position of the door may be changed at all to help remedy this problem.

While we have many of our common repairs listed above, we very often see garage door and opener problems that are not listed here. Rest assured! We specialize in repairs and are prepared to fix the majority of issues. Our technicians are happy to assess your repair needs and get started on a solution with you right away! Call today!