Thursday, May 11, 2017

How Putting off Garage Door Repair Can Backfire

Sometimes procrastination saves money. For example, putting off impulse purchases at a store for things you don't need can save money. Once the items are out of sight, they're also out of mind and the desire for them fades. The same can't be said of garage door repair. It's common for people to put off a garage door repair when the door continues to function. The usual outcome of this is that the delay ultimately causes the owner to spend more money. This can happen in a number of ways. Here are two:

A Delayed Broken Garage Door Spring Replacement Causes Further Damage

The two springs on a garage door are adjusted to balance out the weight of the door. The garage door motor supplies the remaining lifting/lowering force to open or close the door. When one spring breaks, the motor must lift about half of the door's weight. However, the motor isn't meant to do this over the long-term. This reduces the motor's service life or causes damage, which may require repair or replacement in the near future.

A more devastating scenario can play out if the second spring breaks while the first is still broken. If both springs were installed at the same time, they have the same number of usage cycles when the first spring breaks. Because the second spring has the same usage rating as the first, it's ready to break at any time. When this happens, the door may fall down in its tracks or pop out of its tracks and possibly cause severe injury or property damage.

An Improperly Closed Door Causes a Home Break-In

A door that's cocked, doesn't close all the way down, or has popped from a track requires repair ASAP. It's a home break-in waiting to happen. Break-ins aren't limited to high crime areas. Criminals often case homes in affluent neighborhoods. The more "experienced" of these people are good at spotting security weaknesses, and a poorly closed garage door is practically an invitation sign. Even if your insurance covers all of your losses, the emotional trauma, inconvenience, and increased insurance premiums make the experience an ordeal.

The saying, "never put off until tomorrow what you can do today," especially applies to garage door repair and maintenance. If you have any problems with your garage door, get it fixed promptly by contacting Overhead Door Co. of Lansing.