HOW MUCH DOES A GARAGE DOOR TUNE-UP COST?
Garage doors are typically built to last long and withstand a lot of pressure, but even the strongest of machines need a tune-up once in a while or more frequently. For garage doors, it could be once in two months or as regularly as your technician suggests.
So, what is a tune-up? A tune-up is simply a routine check of all the functional parts of your garage door. Every garage door has multiple moving parts like the springs, rollers, drums, brackets, and hinges, and all these parts have to be checked and serviced periodically to ensure smooth functioning. It’s just like what you do with your vehicle or even your health when you go to the doctor. You don’t have to be ill or unable to function before you go for a check-up. That’s the same thing with your garage doors.
Now, how do you know if your garage door needs a tune-up?
How to Know When Your Garage Door Needs a Tune-up?
This is important to take note of because you do not have to wait for an exact problem before going for a tune-up, but sometimes, these problems show up before you know it. So these are a few signs that tell you your garage door requires a check-up.
- Shakiness and any signs of looseness when you open or close the door. This is quite obvious, so you may want to place a call to a technician once you notice.
- Jagged movement when opening or closing the garage door. This could be a quick jerk or irregular movement when in motion.
- Unusual sounds from the door when in motion. If it doesn’t sound fine, then it probably isn’t fine.
- Visible signs of warping, arching, or breaking. This is a huge red flag that requires immediate attention.
- Wears and tears which are expected over a period.
These signs are all pretty obvious, so you don’t have to have any special skills to be able to tell if you should call in a technician or not. Most of these defects and wear are caused by frequent use of the garage door, so you can’t completely prevent them from happening. Some others are caused by environmental factors considering all that a door is exposed to. A few others could be caused by neglect (or plain forgetfulness).
It would also be valuable to know how frequently you need to get a tune-up with all that said.
Typically, every garage door should get a tune-up at least once a year. However, you don’t have to wait for 365 days before getting the next tune-up, especially when you notice any of the signs mentioned above. Depending on the frequency of usage, handling and conditions a door is exposed to, the need for a tune-up may increase.
So, knowing these factors, you should be able to tell how regularly your own door would need the services of a technician.
Now to the big question, how much does a tune-up cost?
The Price of a Garage Door Tune-up
Interestingly, you could get a tune-up for as low as $100, but this is not always the case because homeowners only request a tune-up when there is a defect. As a result of this, repairs and changes have to be made to some parts, and this would cost more than just the exact price for a check-up. Let’s say you call in the technician for a tune-up when you hear creaking noises from your garage door. When the technician carries out evaluation, he may notice a broken hinge or cable and incur an additional cost. So the usual average for a garage door tune-up in most states is $150. This also depends on the service provider and the type of service being rendered.
Some service providers have different packages for tune-ups, so you have the privilege of picking which one best suits your need and your budget. On the high side, tune-ups could cost as much as $700 to $800 and if this is within your range, then definitely opt for that.
What Does a Technician Do?
The simple answer is check-up, but there is a more detailed answer if you care to know about it. The technician’s first thing is to thoroughly assess the garage door, especially when a complaint has been made. The door may be opened and closed several times to observe if there is any other issue with the door. If there are none, he will service the moveable parts and any other part that needs attention. If, on the other hand, a problem is noticed, the technician proceeds to check the area and assess the damage.
Some of the services rendered during a tune-up include cleaning, lubricating, replacements, scraping, screwing, and painting. These activities may seem simple and easy to carry out on your own or by a friend. However, only a skilled technician would be able to figure out the cause of a defect and even observe slight problems that may not be conspicuous. Therefore, an unskilled individual may complicate already existing issues or barely fix them, which could end up costing a lot more than having a skilled technician in the first place.
Finding a good technician doesn’t have to be complicated. There are skilled technicians in every state, and you could get access to one by searching for the keywords with your state included. Reviews and testimonials also help decide which technician to work with, especially when you have a host of skilled professionals to choose from. It is not advisable to wait until you begin to notice jerks or hear noises before getting in touch with a garage door technician. When things deteriorate, it could pose a great danger to the house’s occupants, knowing that an open garage serves as a shield for predators. The keyword here is proactive, and that’s what a tune-up entails
