Is it safe to fix a broken garage door myself?

The dividing line is stored energy and weight. A garage door is heavy, and its springs hold enough tension to balance that weight. Anything that touches the springs or the parts they pull on can release that energy suddenly. The jobs that stay away from it are reasonable for most homeowners.

Safe for a homeowner

• Checking the outlet, breaker and opener power.
• Replacing remote and keypad batteries.
• Clearing the sensor beam path and wiping the lenses.
• Looking over the door, cables and springs from the floor without touching them.
• Lubricating hinges and rollers on a door that is working normally.

Leave to a technician

• Springs, whether torsion or extension, including adjusting tension. See why spring replacement is not a DIY job.
• Lift cables, cable drums and bottom brackets, which stay under spring tension.
• Rollers and tracks, especially on a door that is crooked or off track.
• Bent panels or a door hit by a car.

Signs to stop and call

Stop using the door if you heard a loud bang, the door feels much heavier than usual, it hangs crooked, a cable looks slack or frayed, or rollers have left the track. Do not pull the emergency release on a door that is open or damaged. Repair visits carry a $45 diagnostic trip fee, and you approve a written price before any work starts. Our garage door repair page covers what we fix.

Read more

• What to do with a broken garage door
• Garage door repair
• How to fix a garage door

Related questions

• Is it okay to use a garage door opener without safety sensors?
• Why does my garage door keep breaking after a handyman or DIY repair?
• Can I install garage door safety sensors myself?
• Is it safe to open a garage door manually?
• My garage door won't close and a sensor light is blinking. What do I do?

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