Door Failure and Repair


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Old 06-03-19, 02:25 PM
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Door Failure and Repair

All

I need to see if i am missing something. (not naming brand or vendor at this time)

we have a 4 year old garage door (7 * 16) 4 panels bottom 3 solid and top panel is a 4 lite insulated glass panel.

Over the weekend the top panel decided to buckle and is now sitting about 2-3 inches from the header.

The repair guy came today and I now have the repair estimate which shocked me

Note my door has a lifetime warranty on rust through and 10 yeas on delamination but structural failures are no longer covered.

The repair estimate is $1,291.00 I only paid $1596.00 installed for the door so a difference of only $305 and that included removal and disposal of the old door.

The labor portion of the estimate is $199 so i can save a little and swap the panel myself . but $1092 for the replacement panel seems outrages and is basically the cost of the whole door originally including hardware and springs .

I asked how much a standard panel without glass would be and they quoted me $298 more reasonable but said i would need new lighter weight springs for $200 and another $200 in labor. what i do not understand is why the springs could not just be unwound a bit to release some tension

At this point i can get a whole new door for almost the same $$$.

What am i missing on the cost of the single panel or the need for new springs ? I would be happy if i just bought the solid pane for $298 and installed it myself but need the door to work properly and safely.

Thanks Paul
 

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06-04-19, 03:47 PM
aubinp
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Fixed

So i called another vendor to give me an estimate on a new door and he had some thoughts on a fix. he stated if is did not work he would not charge me. So he proceeded to install a new heavy duty strut(double the strength of the old one) across the top this straightened the bow in the door, he then adjusted the springs and opener, lubed all the hinges. looks as good as new except for a kink on the top and the front shown in the pic you would not even see if if not looking. all this for $125.00 even. I now have his sticker on my wall for who to call with issues in the future.

Thanks for the help
 

Last edited by aubinp; 06-04-19 at 04:26 PM.
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Old 06-03-19, 06:12 PM
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Normal process is three or more local bids so you can compare and ask questions.
 
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Old 06-04-19, 02:29 AM
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i understand that but they all get the panel from the same factory and they are the ones charging too much any thoughts on the springs question
 
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Old 06-04-19, 03:21 AM
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The springs are calculated for weight, Insulated glass weighs more than a regular section. (Is your glass insulated?) You can't just take off a little bit of tension because it may balance on the floor but once the door gets close to open the springs quit lifting and cables will fall off. Why did the original top section fail? Was there a reinforcement strut installed originally?
 
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Old 06-04-19, 03:29 AM
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thanks for the clarification on the springs, yes the original panel has insulated glass and yes it has a strut that also bent as for why it failed i have not clue and neither did the tech. i have to fix it as the hornets and wasps are coming through the big gap. the worst part is the whole door was only $1200 4 yeas ago plus install
 
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Old 06-04-19, 03:57 AM
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It sure sounds like a faulty install and/or poor material on the upper strut. With cost being what they are, I would contact another door installer who handles different brand and see how it compares.

I'd like to see a picture of the upper strut that failed. The tech should've been able to surmise a possible cause. And how would they fix or alter that strut if they were to fix it?
 
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Old 06-04-19, 04:12 AM
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add pics as requested

see attached, I included a few different angles, I guess for a temporary fix i could replace the top trim piece on the frame and bend it to close the gap but i am thinking the door will continue to bend

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Last edited by PJmax; 06-04-19 at 06:33 PM. Reason: reoriented/resized pictures
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Old 06-04-19, 04:18 AM
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Even though multiple installers get the panel from the same company, final prices to the end-user (you) will vary based on pricing strategies of different companies. Some companies will "quote" a stupidly high price up front just to see if the customer automatically says yes to the first bid.

The springs on a garage door assist the door opener by offsetting the weight of the door. Springs are matched to the door based on the weight of the door, and due to wear the springs have to be replaced in pairs: if one breaks or wears out, both must be replaced. Unfortunately it's not just a matter of taking a few coils off the spring- springs are not adjustable in that way.

When you asked about the cost of the plain panel the springs needed to be replaced to match the weight of the door, since the weight would change. Actually installing the springs, though, can be a DIY job. I'm not suggesting tou do the entire job yourself but you can compare the price of the springs to the ones available at Home Deep or Lowes to see about how much markup the guy has applied.

As others have said, i'd get more quotes. Your guy might even change his tune if he knows he's got competition.
 
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Old 06-04-19, 06:27 AM
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Distributor

It appears that there is only one distributor for this brand in my geography so i either need to get them down on price or I will be going with another company and brand for a new door.
 
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Old 06-04-19, 03:47 PM
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Fixed

So i called another vendor to give me an estimate on a new door and he had some thoughts on a fix. he stated if is did not work he would not charge me. So he proceeded to install a new heavy duty strut(double the strength of the old one) across the top this straightened the bow in the door, he then adjusted the springs and opener, lubed all the hinges. looks as good as new except for a kink on the top and the front shown in the pic you would not even see if if not looking. all this for $125.00 even. I now have his sticker on my wall for who to call with issues in the future.

Thanks for the help
 

Last edited by aubinp; 06-04-19 at 04:26 PM.
Doorman2722, Norm201 voted this post useful.
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Old 06-04-19, 04:32 PM
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I was betting on the the fact that that strut was not up to par. Glad you got it fixed. Hope it last. My doors use perforated angle iron as mounting points and headers on the door itself.
 
 

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