Though do-it-yourself projects can be rewarding and cost-effective, installing a garage door is a job that’s best left to the professionals. This is because mistakes can lead to serious consequences, especially if the garage door is misaligned. Here’s why you should think twice before attempting a garage door installation on your own and avoid one of these DIY installation horror stories.

DIY Installations Are Complex

Garage doors are made up of dozens of interconnected parts. If any element of the door’s system is out of sync, the garage door may not function the way it’s supposed to and multiple parts may become damaged. This is why our garage door technicians must undergo extensive training and log years of experience before they can install the products we sell. Their level of expertise is essential given the complexity of installing a garage door and the safety risks that a poor installation can lead to.

Moreover, it isn’t easy for the average person to gather all the equipment, tools, and materials needed to install a garage door. Too often, DIYers use old materials and parts that are at risk of breaking or malfunctioning.

In addition, there’s electrical work involved in connecting the garage door to the opener. Garage door technicians have been trained to perform this kind of work safely. The average person, however, lacks this expertise and could be putting their life at risk performing this type of work.

DIY Installations Often Result in Dangerous Mistakes

If a DIYer installs a garage door, he or she is likely to make a mistake. Here are a few of the most common errors resulting in dangerous installations or expensive repair after-the-fact:

• Misaligning the garage door opener. The garage door opener unit needs to be perfectly lined up with the middle of the garage. If it’s even slightly off-centre, the door will twist when opening, resulting in damage to the garage door system.
  
  
• Using the wrong hardware. Choosing the correct hardware for parts such as the tracks and brackets is essential to ensuring that the garage door system can handle the weight of the door. For example, DIYers sometimes make the mistake of using nails when they should use lag screws, which results in inadequate support.
  
• Poorly fitting the door. Whether by negligence or wishful thinking, sometimes amateur installers try to force the garage door into an opening that is too small, causing damage to the door.
  
• Not performing post-installation checks. It’s standard to perform a number of small but critical adjustments at the end of the installation to ensure that everything is in perfect working order and that there are no safety risks. These checks include verifying that the garage door is correctly balanced and adjusting the opener’s travel limits.

In addition to the finer points above, we’ve written an entire article dedicated solely to the dangers of working with garage door springs on your own.

DIY Installations Cost More In The Long Run

When you opt for professional garage door installation, you can be sure that, with regular maintenance, your garage door system will function smoothly for many years to come. DIY jobs carry no such guarantee. When mistakes are made during the installation, this can cause components to wear faster or to suddenly break. Moreover, it’s probable that a self-installed garage door will require more frequent repairs. In some cases, the installation may have to be done again entirely by a professional. In short, a thrifty DIY project could end up turning into a money pit.

DIY Installations Void Garage Door Warranties

New garage doors come with a warranty. However, in most cases, in order for the warranty to be valid, the door has to be professionally installed. If you decide to install the door yourself, you’ll likely void the warranty.

Moreover, trustworthy garage door companies like Creative Door Services™ offer warranties on their installation services, so you can rest assured that if a problem arises following the installation, it will be promptly handled.

If you want to know more about garage door warranties, read our article in which we discuss the difference between installation and manufacturer warranties.

DIY Garage Door Installations Can Result In Injuries

The main reason why you should never install a garage door yourself is that doing so is unsafe. Garage doors are extremely heavy and the torsion spring that acts as a counterweight to the garage door is under extremely high tension. If the spring is handled improperly, there’s a significant risk of injury. Moreover, if the spring or certain other components are incorrectly installed, the garage door can come crashing down. Leave it to a professional to install the torsion spring and the rest of your garage door system safely.

With a do-it-yourself installation, there’s also a risk of the safety features malfunctioning. If features such as the auto-reverse mechanism and photo eyes aren’t correctly installed, your garage door becomes a potential hazard to children and pets.

Reliable Garage Door Installation in Western Canada

For dependable installation work, trust the garage door professionals at Creative Door Services™. We offer a vast selection of garage doors and offer superior installation and repair services in in Edmonton, Alberta; Fort McMurray, Alberta; Calgary, Alberta; Vancouver, British Columbia; Kelowna, British Columbia; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Regina, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Contact us for more information or to request a free quote.