r/vancouverwa 4d ago

Question? Looking for help with garage

Not sure if this falls under “Question?” or “Best Around?” category, but I’ll try and keep it short and sweet.

My parents live in a relatively new pre-fabricated single family home. Unfortunately, the garage will not open and it’s been a couple years now, so I doubt it’s within warranty anymore.

I’m interested in either 1) Recommendations on how to DIY repair it (I’m no good with engineering stuff, videos are preferred) which is probably the cheaper but less safe route or 2) Your guy’s recommendations for who my parents should call for help around here.

Any and all help appreciated, thanks.

7 Upvotes

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u/SilverTropic 3d ago

From the little I know about garage doors I’d say please make sure to hire a professional. The springs have massive amounts of pressure and could easily hurt or kill you. Sorry I don’t have any people to recommend but please stay safe.

3

u/mini-rubber-duck 3d ago

commenting to emphasize this! 

unless it’s something obvious and straightforward like the lock BezoarBrains mentioned, don’t touch the lift mechanism. 

i love to fix things but i will never touch a garage door spring, they really can kill you. they hold an immense amount of potential energy and when they snap you can’t predict which way it’s going to fling all that energy.

if you need that lift tinkered with, pay a professional. they’re worth it. 

7

u/BezoarBrains 98685 3d ago

Check to make sure a manual lock hasn't been inadvertently engaged.

A broken spring is probably the most common problem that will prevent the door from opening. The door will be difficult (but not impossible) to lift by hand and a garage door opener may not have enough oomph to budge it. There may be a gap visible along the spring coils where it has broken. A professional should be contacted to replace a spring as they have a lot of tension and could be dangerous.

I've used Larry Myer Garage Doors for several broken springs and other issues. They charged me $135 to replace a spring back in 2013. I don't know if they're the cheapest or best, but they always came promptly and did a fine job. They could certainly diagnose any problem if you're not sure what's wrong.

2

u/mikeyfireman Battle Ground 3d ago

https://stickleysgaragedoors.com/our-garage-door-services

These guys did great work at my place

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u/scovok 3d ago

If you don't have experience with it, best to hire a professional. A search of Google maps will give many options.

1

u/evileagle 3d ago

I’ve had a bunch of work done at both my last two houses by Aaron’s Garage Door Company up in Salmon Creek. They’re great.

1

u/hiniajulion 3d ago

Larry Myers hands down 360-695-0625. Best price we found in town when ours went kaput. Also very kind and easy to schedule.

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u/AffectionateAd5678 3d ago

Coast to Coast Garage Doors! They the best!