I just wasted a whole weekend trying to fix my own garage door spring

I watched a video online and thought I could save the $200 a local shop quoted me. I bought a kit for about $80 and spent all Saturday trying to wind the new spring. It slipped off the winding bars, flew across the garage, and put a huge dent in my truck's tailgate. The spring is still broken, my truck needs a repair, and I'm out over $300 now. I should have just called a pro from the start. Anyone in Amarillo have a good garage door person they trust for this kind of thing?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamieb802d ago

My uncle had a similar mess with his garage door... tried to be a hero and fix the torsion spring himself. The whole door came crashing down, bent the track all to hell. He spent more on the emergency call than the original quote, plus a new section of drywall. Sometimes that upfront cost is just buying peace of mind, you know?

john_fisher2d ago

That exact scenario happened to my neighbor last year, spring shot right through his garage wall. I see this everywhere now, from plumbing to electrical work. The internet makes every repair look easy, but it hides the real danger and specialized tools you need. We've lost the basic wisdom that some jobs just require a trained professional. That $200 quote wasn't just a price, it was the cost of all their experience and insurance.

drewr152d ago

Yeah, that's a job I won't touch myself anymore. I tried it once and the tension in those springs is no joke. Ended up calling A-1 Door Service over on Bell, and they had it done in an hour.