Can you work on barn-style or carriage house garage doors?

"Carriage house" describes two very different doors. A true swing-out carriage door opens outward on hinges, like a pair of large gates. A carriage-style sectional door only looks that way: it has decorative trim, handles and strap hinges on the face, but it rolls up overhead on tracks with springs and cables like any other sectional door. We work on both, and the repair approach is different for each.

How to tell which you have

• If the door opens outward on hinges at the sides, it is a swing-out door.
• If it lifts up into the garage along tracks near the ceiling, it is a carriage-style sectional, even if the handles and hinges on the outside look functional.
• From inside, springs above the opening or along the tracks mean an overhead door.

What repairs usually involve

On swing-out doors, the usual problems are leaves that sag, worn hinges, latches that no longer line up and weather damage along the bottom edge. On carriage-style sectional doors, the repairs are the same as on other overhead doors: springs, cables, rollers, hinges, tracks and openers, plus any decorative hardware on the face. Springs and cables on an overhead door are under high tension, so leave those to a technician.

Before you call

Tell us which type you have, and if you can, take a photo from the floor and note the brand. That lets us plan the right parts for the visit. Repair visits carry a $45 diagnostic trip fee and a written price before work. For decorative pieces, see matching carriage-door hardware.

Read more

• Carriage garage doors
• Swing-out garage doors
• Garage door repair

Related questions

• Do you repair one-piece tilt-up garage doors?
• Can you match the hardware on a carriage-style or custom garage door?
• How do you fix a swollen wood garage door that sticks?
• Do you repair barn, shop and farm doors?
• Can you repair a custom or old wood garage door?

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