We Need A New Garage Door. [View All]

I'd love to buy one to replace the one that was there when we bought our house six and a half years ago. However, the budget won't stretch that far, and I refuse to add another $1000 to one of our credit cards. So, what to do?

Consult the Internet, of course. I'm pretty darned handy, but I've never worked on a garage door before. One of the cables broke, which means unwinding and rewinding the two torsion springs that handle the weight of the door before I can replace the cable. I can get the cable, and the hardware I need to replace some worn stuff with no problem. But...all of that stuff comes with boldfaced warnings about calling a professional for anything regarding those torsion springs. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS YOURSELF! the warnings scream.

Well, OK, but I can't afford to hire a "professional." So, a Google search on garage door torsion springs brings lots of information, including several step-by-step guides to what I need to do. For someone like me, who's been doing household repairs and who has even built some room additions, etc., the instructions are pretty simple. I have all the tools needed, access to the parts I need, and the information. So, I'll be out there tomorrow doing this repair. After I clear away the 6" of snow from the driveway from the snowstorm we're expecting. I have to take the snowblower out the side door of the garage. I measured, and it will fit with no problem. I'd sure rather not do this in temperatures that may get into the teens, but it's Hobson's choice.

My point? Well, the point is that it's fine for me to fix this door. I have the accumulated skill set I need to follow the directions I have. I can do this safely, and the old door will be back in business, scarred and ugly as it is. The question is: How do other people do this if they can't afford to get their repairs done by a pro? I'm envisioning inoperable garage doors all over the city that turn people's garages into useless storage rooms. Cars left out in the snow, and needing to be cleared after every storm, for want of the knowledge to do the job themselves, or the money to pay someone. How many people will attempt to do this themselves without the skills and the right information? How many will be injured trying?

This is a minor deal, really, but it's one more casualty of the bad economy. The garage door businesses aren't even interested in repairing these things. They'll just try to sell you a new door. That's their business. Most often, a repair would fix the problem, but that's not how it works. It's frustrating. I hope things get better. I really hope they get better, because it's not just broken garage doors. It's broken lives.