Backed Into Your Garage Door? Follow These Steps

If you back into your garage door with a car or truck it is possible to do a considerable amount of damage, even if you are traveling at a relatively slow speed. In addition to any visible damage to the door itself, you may damage some of the components of your garage door opener, compromising its ability to operate smoothly and safely. However, there is no need to panic if you do have such an accident because help is at hand. Follow our step-by-step garage door repair guide and you will be able to take care of any damage in the most efficient and cost-effective manner possible. As always, if you would prefer to talk to a professional straight away (and you live locally), please do not hesitate to pick up your phone and call our experienced repair technicians. We provide a fast and competitively priced service to local residents and businesses.

What to Do Now? Follow the Advice of Our Loveland Garage Door Repair Experts

So you have backed into your overhead door and now you need to sort it out as quickly and inexpensively as possible? Just follow these steps and you will soon have a fully functioning door again:

• Document the Damage – Whether you are thinking of attempting DIY repairs or calling in the local professionals, the first thing you should do is document the damage. You can do this most easily by taking pictures of every part of your garage door installation that appears to have been affected by the accident. However, if you are not sure whether it is safe to approach the garage door area in order to take the pictures that you need, we would advise skipping this step and calling a repair technician as soon as possible. Even if it is safe to approach, we urge you not to touch any part of the door or garage door opener until you are sure that doing so will not place you in any danger. Again, if you have any doubts or worries at all, please just phone a professional straight away.
• Decide on a Plan of Action – If the damage is very minor, i.e. nothing more than a few scrapes and minor dents, it MAY be possible for you to repair your garage door without any outside help. Nevertheless, we cannot recommend this course of action unless you have the requisite knowledge and expertise to carry out the necessary repairs. If you do not, or you feel the damage is too extensive for you to deal with, your next step should be to contact a local technician who can take care of everything for you. If you are in Loveland or nearby, you’re more than welcome to contact us by phone or email for professional assistance. If you live in another part of the country, you can try using search terms such as ‘garage door repair + your location’ or perhaps ‘stuck garage door + your location’ to find local service providers. Make a note of two or three companies that you find and check for online reviews to make sure they are reputable organizations with good track records.
• Email Your Pictures – It can be difficult for repair technicians to provide accurate quotations without actually inspecting the damage in person but the pictures you took earlier should at least enable them to provide you with rough estimates. Once you have made contact with 2 or 3 local service providers, send them the photos so they have a good idea of the type of damage they will be dealing with and request an estimate from each one.
• Make an Appointment for a Home Visit – Once you have received your estimates, we suggest picking the most competitive service provider (assuming they have a good reputation in the local community) and asking them to come and visit your home so they can assess the damage for themselves. Having done so, they should be able to provide you with a firm quotation covering the cost of all necessary labor and materials to restore your garage door (and opener) to its former condition. If you are not happy with the quotation they provide, you can contact the next company on your list and arrange for them to visit your home too.

Assuming that you find a repair team you are happy with and that is able to provide you with a competitive service in a timely manner, all you have to do now is sit back and relax while they take care of everything on your behalf. If you’re too busy to go through the above steps and you would rather wait, that is, of course, your decision to make. However, before you delay, read the section below to see whether it really is the right decision for you to make.

Can I Leave It Until a More Convenient Time?

Perhaps you are very busy with work at the moment or you have more pressing personal problems than a broken or stuck garage door? This is understandable but we would advise against delaying any necessary repairs unless it simply cannot be avoided. A broken or bent garage door may pose a serious danger to you and other members of your household if not promptly fixed. It may also compromise the security of your home, especially if you have an integral garage with a door that leads straight into the main living areas of your property. Last but not least, it could lead to a significant increase in your energy bills, as any gaps between the door and doorframe will make it more difficult to maintain a comfortable temperature in your garage until they are eliminated.

For anyone who lives in or close to Loveland, garage door repair is never a difficult issue to deal with. Simply call C & M Garage Doors and we will provide you with all the help that you need. Come back and see us again soon for more advice from our top technicians.