If your garage door needs repair, there are two options—attempt to fix it yourself or call a professional. Many repairs require experience and personal protective gear. As for the types of garage door repair you can do with the right tools and parts, here is a look at how to approach the process.

Common Garage Door Problems You Can Fix

Garage door owners will almost certainly experience these issues eventually:

• The Garage Door Won’t Fully Close: This is usually an issue with the photo eye sensor. Check the sensor and transmitter on either side of the door to make sure they’re aligned (they’re mounted about 6” from the floor). If not, adjust the pivot bracket so both components face each other. Also make sure there are no objects blocking the path of the infrared beam; if there are, remove them and any dirt, debris, or cobwebs that may be in the way. These issues usually take about five minutes to fix.
• The Garage Door Is Dirty: Excess dirt increases wear and tear and reduces curb appeal. But you can wash a garage door with a wet cloth, sponge, or soft brush and some mild dish soap. Wipe down the door and then use clean water to rinse it down. For glass garage door windows, use dish soap, vinegar and water, or other non-abrasive cleaning solution. Also, clean any debris out of the tracks and, twice a year, use a spray-on car wax to protect steel doors from corrosion.
• The Garage Door Is Noisy: Noise can mean a lot of things. If it’s caused by springs, hinges, or roller bearings that need lubrication, you can apply a lubricant. This should be done every two or three months. Lubricate lift cables as well. You can also tighten any loose nuts and bolts using a screwdriver. It also helps to clean dirty rollers and tighten loose hinges; misaligned tracks can be fixed by loosening screws or bolts, moving tracks into position, and retightening the mounting brackets and fasteners.

But if you’ve tightened and lubricated metal parts, and the garage door is still noisy, contact a garage door repair professional.

Do Not Fix Garage Door Springs on Your Own

A professional can replace a garage door spring quickly. It’s not a complex job but attempting it without the proper experience is extremely dangerous. A broken torsion spring is easy to identify; the coil will be visibly separated, leaving a gap. When a break occurs, there’s typically a loud bang. But it’s the high tension and rapid unwinding that is dangerous. A spring unwinds in less than a second and, if it breaks apart, can cause severe injuries.

If a garage door spring is broken or beginning to fail, the signs include:

• The door stops after moving just a few inches.
• The garage door is bent at the top.
• The door won’t open when the emergency release cord is pulled.

Other DIY Garage Door Repair Tips

When realigning or tightening metal tracks, check for dents, flat areas, or crimps. Minor damage can be fixed by pounding the affected area with a rubber mallet, or a hammer and block of wood. Use a level to check alignment. A horizontal track should have a slight downward slant, toward the back of the garage. If you have a roll-up door, the tracks should be plumb, or upright. Also check that each track reaches the same height on the opposing walls.

Dirty tracks should be immediately cleaned to prevent excess wear and tear. A household cleaner can be used to remove dirt and grease. Then wipe the tracks and rollers dry before operating the garage door again.

When tightening loose hardware, check the hinges of your roll-up door to make sure they are tight and can hold the door together. Tighten any loose screws and, if any hinges are damaged, replace them. And when you find any enlarged screw holes, find a longer screw of the same diameter; dip a hollow fiber plug in carpenter’s glue and insert it with the new screw.

If you have a wood garage door and it cracks at the hinge, this can be fixed. Just remove the hinge, fill the crack with wood filler (including the screw holes), and replace the hinge after the filler dries. You can also move the hinge onto solid wood if there’s another place to secure it to.

Contact Us for Garage Door Repair

Mesa Garage Doors can fix any issue with your garage door and we’re available 24/7. For most other issues than the ones mentioned above, you should not try to fix them yourself. It can risk serious injury, damage, and avoidable expenses. For garage door repair service in Anaheim, Los Angeles, and Southern California, book online or call 800-893-1107 today.

Often overlooked, garage security is paramount when seeking to secure the home. Burglars and thieves often look for easy points of entry, and your garage provides more than one. Garage break ins are common, up to 9% of burglars will use the garage while 34% will use any unlocked door. Power tools, lawn mowers, leaf blowers, and other high-ticket items in your garage are often very appealing to criminals. A great start is to get into the mindset of a burglar, which can help identify the most vulnerable spots. Then follow these tips to secure your garage:

Secure Your Garage Door

We’ll start with perhaps the most obvious access point. Your garage door is a prominent feature and the largest moving part of your home. Crooks can find many opportunities to get in through an overhead garage door, and gain entry to your home. To make it more difficult:

• Keep the Garage Door Closed: All-too-often, people leave their garage doors open while at home. Dong so for just a few seconds can result in theft. Keep the door closed or install a sensor that alerts you if it’s left open or an automatic closer that triggers after a certain amount of time.
• Prevent Probing: A common means of entry is to push the door inward, insert a wire hook through the gap, and trigger the garage door opener release. To avoid this, purchase a mechanism that’ll only work if it’s pulled straight down, or place garage door windows such that there’s no clear view of the release cord. You can zip tie or cover the cord as well.
• Repair/Replace Your Garage Door: If your garage door is in disrepair, refurbish it to resist entry or replace it with a modern, more secure model. Older doors tend to have a poorer seal and be less resistant to forced entry. Steel garage doors are common because they’re extremely durable and are easily customizable.

Also, many people simply unplug the garage door opener when they go on vacation. But someone could still open the garage door after breaking into your home, and load your belongings into a van. They can also fish for your release cord. A physical lock will make it more difficult to access the garage door from any side.

Update Your Garage Door Opener

With older garage door openers, burglars can gain entry with scanners that help them find the system’s access code. They can even get in with a neighbor’s remote if it uses the same code. Newer models use rolling codes, so a new code is created every time you use the remote. Smart garage door openers are also a wise investment, and include the latest security features, such as:

• Monitoring System: A monitor for your garage door can be placed anywhere in the home; you can close the door remotely and know instantly whether it is open or closed.
• Smartphone App: Lets you track whether the door is open or closed. If it opens suddenly, you’ll get an alert on your smartphone, and you can close it remotely if you’re forgetful.
• Self-Closing: The opener closes automatically, while you can override the self-closing feature any time or set the increment of time after which the system closes the garage door.

Don’t Leave the Remote in the Car

Thieves often break into cars to steal garage door remotes, which are often kept on the visor or other visible location. And they know your address is on the registration card in the glove compartment. A keychain remote is the safest option as you can always keep it with you. These remotes are affordable and easy to find.

Protect Your Other Doors

The side door is a place where a burglar can remain unseen. A standard lock won’t do because a precise kick can break it loose. If you don’t have one, install a deadbolt lock and replace the strike plate with a reinforced part secured with at least 3-inch screws. The entry door to your home must be secured as well; to start, make sure it’s always locked, and update the locks if necessary.

Light Up the Exterior

Exterior lighting is one of the most effective deterrents. If all entry points are well-lit, burglars are less likely to take the risk of being seen. Motion-activated lighting is best as it saves energy and can immediately startle a thief. Lighting components should be installed at least 10 to 12 feet above the ground so a burglar can’t tamper with them.

Don’t Provide the Advantage of Cover

Shaded areas should be addressed too, including overgrown foliage that can become hiding places. A strategic tree or bush can provide cover even in broad daylight. If there are large trees or shrubs near your garage, consider clearing them away. Another great deterrent is a thorny shrub near garage windows.

Keep Tools Hidden and Locked

For whatever reason, thieves love tools. It’s therefore best not to leave your tool set visible. Tools should be kept in locked cabinets. There are many types of cabinet systems designed for garages.

Install an Alarm System for Your Garage

An alarm system for a garage is just as effective as one for your home. It helps if the security system is visible. This is a great deterrent, and you’ll want to have security cameras over each entry point and a means to monitor video feeds on your smartphone. If there is suspicious activity, you can spot it from anywhere and alert the authorities.

Contact Mesa Garage Doors

Serving residential customers across Southern California, we offer many types of garage doors to match the style, character, and functional needs of your home. Our custom garage doors can accommodate single-car and multi-car garages. Numerous options are available as well, including a choice of colors, stains, and finishes as well as windows and other decorative elements. Book a free estimate online or call 800-893-1107 to learn more.

Garage doors are designed to do one of two things—open or close. So, it can be quite frustrating when your garage door seemingly refuses to close, whether it won’t respond to your commands or reverses midway. There are many reasons this can happen. Sometimes the solution is simple, such as replacing a battery or cleaning a sensor. Here are a few troubleshooting tips to help you fix the problem or determine whether professional repair is necessary. While the causes can be varied, here’s what to do when your garage door won’t close.

Look for Garage Door Safety Sensor Issues

Modern garage doors have two sensors near the bottom. Located six inches above the ground, these devices are located on either side and detect when something, whether a child, ball, container, or pet, is in the way. The door will not close if the signal is broken. Sometimes, it may not be an object causing this, but a misalignment of the sensors or dirt on the lens or transmitter.

Therefore, you can fix the problem by wiping the sensors with a clean, soft, cloth. Even dust or a spider web can block the signal. If a sensor isn’t aligned properly, loosen it and adjust its position until the blinking light becomes steady.

Adjust the Limit Setting

If the sensors seem okay, check the limit settings, or travel limits, which tell the opener how far the door must travel before fully closing. This is a safety feature to ensure it doesn’t crush anything. Too high a setting fools the door into thinking the floor is an obstruction, causing it to open. Fortunately, the issue can be easily fixed with a screwdriver, the limit settings knob on the garage door motor, or other means indicated by the instruction manual. Just be careful not to over-adjust the limit, as this could cause the door to slam the ground or move too quickly.

Check the Garage Door Opener’s Remote Battery

A common reason the garage door won’t open or even respond to the remote is a dead battery. Replacing the batteries is an obvious first step. If this doesn’t work, the remote might need to be reprogrammed. To do this, press the “learn” button on the opener, using a ladder to access the unit. When the light flashes, press a button on the remote; it should then work normally again. The garage door transmitter battery may need to be replaced as well.

Check Track Alignment

If the garage door tracks are misaligned, the door won’t be able to run normally. It can get stuck in position or reverse automatically. Gaps between the rails and rollers, or bent rails, should be fixed by a professional. Also check for damage such as warped tracks or even obstacles blocking them. Garage door tracks wear over time and can also be damaged by the weight of the garage door.

Look for Broken Springs or Cables

Tension springs and cables help your garage door move slowly and evenly. They are a major safety feature. If a spring fails or a cable snaps, it can be an extremely dangerous situation. The door can break loose and hit the ground hard, or broken pieces can be flung at high speeds and hurt someone. So, if a cable looks frayed or a spring is rusted or has a gap, call a repair technician right away.

Refer to the Manual

The garage door is indicating a problem if it won’t close and there’s a blinking light. The color or number of times it blinks is telling you something. Check the manual’s troubleshooting guide or find trouble codes for your door model online, for reference to what the problem may be.

Get to the Root of the Problem

Once your garage door won’t close, take a visual look at what may be wrong. Then you can decide to fix a simple issue on your own. When you’ve addressed the problem, place a box or board underneath and close the door. If you can’t resolve the situation, call a professional as moving forward on your own can be dangerous. A garage door repair professional at Mesa Garage Doors is trained and equipped to correct any problem quickly. To get started, book service online or call 800-893-1107 today, or contact us for a free no obligation estimate.

While garage door costs can vary greatly, the national average for replacing a garage door is $1,134, according to HomeAdvisor. Typically, the price range is between $757 and $1,562. On the high end, you may spend up to $2,300 or more for garage door replacement.

There are many factors to consider in terms of cost, beyond the garage door itself. A basic garage door model may cost a few hundred dollars, but replacing the one you have can easily come with additional costs. Upgrading from a manual to an automatic garage door is a situation in which you’ll likely pay extra for the work.

Here is a look at other factors that may determine the final price:

• Removing/Disposing Materials: The price may be included in the initial quote, but this step can cost up to $100.
• Structural Modifications: If you need to resize the opening, even just add height, key structural elements may need to be removed, braced, and replaced, costing anywhere from $500 to $5,000.
• Hardware: Garage door springs, nuts and bolts, hinges, pulleys, wires, and other hardware can cost up to $350, which is usually part of your estimate.
• Locks: A lock helps protect any valuables you keep in the garage, but it can cost anywhere from $100 to up to $350 to install a specific brand lock for your garage door opener.
• Location: Garage door installation tends to be higher where the cost of living in a particular area is higher. Geographic location is a factor too, as there are price differences from one region to another and local building codes, such as those requiring reinforcement against high winds.
• Labor: Replacing a garage door can cost you up to $500 in labor, per HomeAdvisor estimates.
• Customization: You can spend anywhere from $800 to up to $10,000 to customize your garage door with windows, trim and panels, and shatterproof glass; add multiple colors; or install a barn style door. ¹

Garage Door Type and Cost

While labor costs are generally the same between different garage door types (a wooden, steel, or aluminum door is installed in the same amount of time), the design is a factor. For example, a manual single-panel garage door can cost from $400 to $1,200, while a sectional model costs anywhere from $750 to $2,500. Space-saving roll-up doors cost $400 to $1,500 on average. A tilt-up canopy door can cost up to $1,500 while a tilt-up retractable door ranges up to $2,000 for installation.

As for garage door material type, expect to spend up to $2,000 for steel, $1,800 for wood, $3,700 for wood composite, or $4,100 for faux wood, on average. Aluminum doors can cost a few hundred to up to $2,000, while fiberglass can cost up to $2,100. A vinyl garage door can go as high as $2,600 but if you’re investing in a high-end wood or composite installation, it can go as high as $10,000.

Trimming the Cost of Garage Door Replacement

You can avoid overspending on garage door replacement by:

• Installing a standard model door without customization.
• Purchasing directly from the manufacturer and hiring an independent contractor for installation.
• Choosing only add-on features that you absolutely need.
• Ensuring the door comes with a warranty to cover potential defects later.
• Maintaining the door properly to avoid unnecessary repairs or replacements.

Request a New Garage Door Estimate Today

Mesa Garage Doors offers a range of garage doors, garage door openers, and other products in Southern California. We specialize in many types of doors and all kinds of repairs. Contact us 24/7 at 800-893-1107 for more information or to request a free estimate.

The exterior of your home has an impact on its value. A clean, inviting décor has a positive effect; and since a garage door can take up a third of your façade, an aesthetic door that’s in good condition can boost value. High curb appeal alone can increase the market value of your home 7%. In slower markets, it can rise as high as 14%.

What Does Curb Appeal Mean?

What exactly is curb appeal? It is not a quantifiable aspect of your home, but rather an observable and often subjective aspect. Broken pavement, chipped paint, and dented garage doors are just a few examples of issues that can reduce curb appeal. Real estate listings often highlight a home’s square footage, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, and whether recent home improvements have been made. However, the look of your home from the street shapes a buyer’s/investor’s first impression before they even go inside.

Curb appeal combines all standout design elements used for your home’s exterior. Before real estate listing websites, buyers would use it to pick which properties to see. They’d have to physically travel to the house after calling their real estate agent to set up a showing. Nowadays, photographs of multiple properties can be viewed simultaneously, virtual tours can be taken online and the housing market place is now much more competitive.

The Connection Between Garage Doors and Curb Appeal

The garage door is a large, prominent feature that deserves a lot of attention. It can easily increase home value because of its ability to:

• Provide Balance: The design of the door should compliment that of your front door and the overall appearance of your home’s architecture. For example, if your home has large windows, a garage door with built-in windows may be a good idea.
• Add Contrast: Using the same color scheme, the door can blend in, but the overall impact can be boring. Warmth and contrast can be provided by contrasting colors, unique panel designs, custom finishes, and windows and other decorative options.
• Restore Your Home’s Original Charm: If your home was built in the middle of the last century, it’s probably been renovated a few times. Some of its charm may have been lost in the process. To restore the charm, garage door manufacturers and dealers today offer many options to update your door to suit your home’s style.
• Improve Safety: New garage doors are fit with technologies such as auto reverse systems and photosensors, rotating security codes, and Wi-Fi access so you can check on its status or close the door if you forgot to. Modern doors better resist intruders and can update you instantly if something is suspicious.
• Increase Efficiency: Manufacturers have been more diligent at sealing and insulating garage doors. Weather sealing and layers of insulation can stabilize the temperature both in the garage and in the living space of your home. Additionally, an insulated garage door can cut energy costs and block outside noise.

Contact Mesa Garage Doors

Mesa Garage Doors understands the true value that garage doors can add to your home. As the largest garage door installation company in America, and serving Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County, we know how to find the best products at the lowest prices. We employ factory trained installers and repair techs and never use any subcontractors. You can therefore depend on our high quality standards every time. Schedule a free evaluation and no obligation estimate by calling 800-893-1107 today.