Factors In Garage Door Repair Costs
Style
Depending on the style of your door, some repairs can be made more easily than others. Older tilt-up doors are more difficult to repair as parts become harder to find. A single wide roll-up door tends to be pretty affordable. Custom sectional models will be more expensive, and solid wood custom doors are the most expensive.
Materials
The more expensive models typically mean higher garage door repair prices, as well as higher garage door parts costs. Steel doors tend to be more affordable to repair than wood models.
Openers
Garage doors are operated by electric garage door openers. Sometimes these malfunction and can be repaired relatively easily. If your main issue with your garage door is your opener, the garage door repair prices should be relatively low since it would mean the door itself is not the issue.
Finishes
If you install a new door and the color doesn’t match the trim or exterior of your home anymore, then painting or finishing will need to be done.
What’s making all that noise?
One of the most common causes of garage door noise is friction. As garage door opener mechanisms age, their parts can lose their lubrication and noisily grind against each other. Bolts and screws can loosen, and parts wear out and need to be replaced. Any of these normal elements of wear will cause the garage door opener to get a little louder. Same with the hinges and rollers on the door itself. While this doesn’t necessarily signal a particular problem, it can be annoying. But some causes of the noise, especially in older models or those that have sustained damage, will need attention quickly before they become a real headache.
Choosing The Right Repair Company
You want to find a repair professional with a solid reputation. But it’s also a smart idea to find out if they also offer a warranty and stand by their work. Here are some tips for when you are shopping around for a repair professional.
Reputation
Look for a repair company that has positive reviews, fair prices and excellent customer service. Visit their website and find reviews online to get an idea of what kind of company you may be dealing with.
Experience
When you are shopping around for a repair company, you will want to pay attention to how long the repair company has been in business.
Codes and Regulations
To avoid safety issues, fines or hefty repair bills, ask the garage door dealer how they comply with the local building codes in your city.
Insurance
It is important to make sure the repair company has business and employee insurance. You can do so by asking the company for a copy of their Certificate of Insurance. If they refuse, give you a hard time about it, or simply don’t have one, this could be a warning sign that you may want to stay away from that company.
Licenses
Ask see the repair company local business licenses to make sure they are a legitimate company.
Different Types Of Garage Door Drives
Screw Drive
Screw drive openers are different mechanically as they require a trolley to ride on a threaded steel rod, which rotates with a motor to move the door. Screw drive openers are simple, and for that reason, preferable for people who want fewer moving parts to maintain. Screw drive units are somewhat sensitive to temperature and are not considered optimal in regions that see drastic shifts in temperature as seasons change. In most cases, they are noisier than belt drive units. Cost-wise, screw drive units tend to be more expensive than belt drive and chain drive openers.
Chain Drive
Chain drive units are classic openers and are among the oldest and most common styles, running the door along a track. These units rely on a chain to push the trolley connected to the J-arm, which is attached the garage door itself. One advantage is noise. Because of the design, chain drive units tend to cause a slight vibrations and metal-to-metal noise. For that reason, these units are more popular for detached garages than garages situated beneath a bedroom, for example. Some people prefer a garage door that opens with a bit of racket so they can be warned if someone is about to enter. Over time, chain drive units have become much quieter with newer technologies, such as softer start-and-stop features and DC motors. Chain drives are considered to be the most economical option.
Belt Drive
Belt drives are considered to be the most luxurious option because of their sleekness and relative low level of noise. Belt-drive openers use the same mechanisms as chain drive openers, with the exception that instead of a chain, they use a belt — largely eliminating the vibrations and noises associated with chain drive openers. The belts are typically made from fiberglass, steel-reinforced rubber or polyurethane.
Garage Door Construction
Wood Garage Doors
These offer a wide variety of options. You can find anything from standard, raised-panel designs to doors that mimic the ornate styles commonly used on the carriage houses of the 18th and 19th centuries. Wood doors are also available in several species, either paint or stain grade.
Steel Garage Doors
These are usually more economical than wood doors and are the most common type of garage door. Most manufacturers offer several colors out of the box. You can also paint the door to match your home. There are three distinct types of steel doors to choose from:
Single Layer Doors
These are stamped from a single sheet of galvanized steel. These are usually the most economical of all steel doors.
Double Layer Doors
These have a galvanized steel skin on the outside with a thick layer of either polystyrene or polyurethane as a backer. The backer provides soundproofing and additional insulating value to the door.
Triple Layer Doors
These are constructed of the same materials as double-layer doors with the addition of a galvanized skin on the inside to protect the polystyrene / polyurethane from damage. The additional layer of steel makes triple-layer doors the strongest, most secure and most soundproof of all garage doors.
