Many homeowners enjoy handling home improvement projects themselves. In addition to saving money, doing your own home improvement projects can be rewarding. You can learn a new skill and enjoy the satisfaction of a job well done. However, some home improvement projects including replacing a garage door should be left to the professionals.
There are safety concerns that make tackling a garage door repair or a garage door replacement yourself a bad idea. These include safety issues during the replacement process itself and also safety concerns dealing with the operation of the door after it is installed.
The main safety concern during the replacement process is that garage door springs are very dangerous if they are handled improperly. Garage doors use torsion springs or extension springs to help lift the door. These springs are under a lot of pressure and can cause severe injuries or death if the spring is mishandled. The typical homeowner simply does not have the knowledge or experience to safely handle the garage door springs.
In addition, garage doors with automatic openers are equipped with various safety features designed to protect against a person, especially a child, being trapped under a closing garage door. Many children have been seriously injured or killed in garage door entrapments.
These safety devices include reversing mechanisms and photoelectric safety eyes to detect obstructions in the path of the door. If these safety devices are not properly installed and adjusted, there is a possibility of serious injury or death due to a garage door entrapment.
Finally, if the garage door is not properly installed and adjusted, there is a chance that it can jam in the opening or even come off of the tracks and fall, potentially injuring a person or damaging property.
Due to the safety concerns and the risk of severe injury or death, replacement of a garage door by the homeowner is not recommended. Garage door replacement is best handled by a trained garage door repair technician.
