Garage Door Tune-Up in Wichita

What is included in a garage door tune-up?

A tune-up covers the whole system: door, hardware, springs and opener. Here's what we check:

Minor adjustments and tightening are part of the tune-up. If a part needs replacing, we show you and give you the price before doing anything.

How much does a garage door tune-up cost in Wichita?

Most tune-ups cost $90 to $200. A single door with a simple opener sits at the low end. A double door, two doors at the same home, or a door that needs extra adjustment sits higher.

Compare that to the cost of the repairs a tune-up can head off. A broken spring typically runs $200 to $500, and a cable or off-track repair $150 to $400. Catching a frayed cable or a worn roller early often means a smaller bill and no emergency call. For the full picture, see our garage door repair cost guide.

How often should a garage door be serviced?

Once a year is right for most homes. Consider twice a year if:

• The garage is your main entry and the door opens and closes many times a day.
• The door is heavy (wood, carriage house or a wide insulated double door).
• The springs or opener are original and more than 10 years old.
• You've noticed the door getting louder, slower or jerkier.

In Kansas, fall is a good time. Springs often break on the first cold mornings, when the steel is stiffer and the grease is thicker, and a pre-winter check catches a spring that's near the end. Spring is the other good window, after winter grit and before hail season, when you can also look for storm damage. Older homes around Riverside, Delano and College Hill with original extension springs benefit most from regular checks.

How do I test my garage door's safety reverse?

Every opener made since the early 1990s must reverse when it detects an obstruction. You can test it yourself once a month:

1. Sensor test. Start closing the door and wave something (not your body) through the beam between the two sensors near the floor. The door should stop and reverse.
2. Contact test. Lay a 2x4 flat on the floor in the door's path. Close the door. When it touches the board, it should stop and reverse within a couple of seconds.

If the door fails either test, stop using the opener to close the door and call us. Usually the force setting or the sensors need adjusting, but a door that won't reverse can seriously injure a child or pet. More on sensor problems is in why your garage door won't close.

What garage door maintenance can I do myself?

Some checks are safe and worth doing between tune-ups:

• Look and listen once a month while the door runs. Grinding, scraping or a jerky motion means something needs attention.
• Clean the safety sensors with a soft cloth, and make sure the little lights on both are steady, not blinking.
• Clear the tracks of dirt, leaves and debris. Don't bend or re-fasten the track yourself.
• Lubricate hinges and roller bearings with a garage door lubricant, not grease. Nylon rollers without bearings don't need it.
• Replace remote batteries when the range drops.
• Know the red emergency release cord. Pulling it disconnects the door from the opener so you can move it by hand during a power outage, but only if the door is balanced and the springs are intact.

What not to do: don't adjust, wind or replace torsion springs or cables, and don't remove the bottom brackets. They're under enough tension to cause serious injury. Leave those to spring repair and cable repair.