Garage door repair
Garage door opener repair and LiftMaster installation sized to the door it lifts.
We install and service LiftMaster openers as an authorized installer, and we repair Genie and the other brands. An opener lives or dies by the door it lifts, so we check the springs and the door’s weight along with the motor.
Quickest is a call: (615) 810-6415
Why will a door go up but not come down?
Usually it’s the safety sensors. Since 1993, openers sold in the US have had to reverse when something is in the way, and the two photo eyes near the floor are how they tell. If one is knocked out of line, dirty or catching direct sun, the opener thinks the doorway is blocked and refuses to close, or turns around halfway down.
A force error looks much the same. The opener reverses because the door feels too heavy, which can mean a binding roller, a tired spring or a force setting that has drifted. And sometimes it’s the electronics. Barbara in Smyrna had a door that behaved until the weather turned:
Clay + helper came out in the freezing cold to do my garage door repair: under 55 degrees, the door would go up but not down. … Who knew a garage door box had a mother board?
Barbara, Smyrna
It surprises most people. The motor unit has a circuit board, and when it starts failing, cold mornings are often where it shows first.
Can lightning really kill an opener?
Yes. A nearby strike can push a surge through the house wiring that shorts the opener’s board, the receiver, or both. We repair openers shorted by lightning, and when the unit is old enough that a new one makes more sense, we’ll tell you that instead.
How big an opener does your door need?
Big enough for the door, and paired with the right spring. A heavier door needs more horsepower, and without a properly sized spring the motor wears out long before it should.
Real wood is the exception to the usual sizing. A heavy wood door needs a commercial-style opener to last, and that can mean giving up some of the Wi-Fi features on the newest home models. For a door that cost what a wood door costs, that’s a fair trade. There’s more on those doors on the wood garage doors page.
Ceiling mount, wall mount or belt drive?
- Jackshaft, or wall-mount. It sits on the wall beside the door and turns the spring bar directly. It’s the answer when something on the ceiling is in the way, a beam or ductwork, and there’s room to the side.
- Belt drive. A reinforced belt in place of a chain, and far quieter. With a bonus room or a bedroom over the garage, this is the one.
- Accessories. Keyed entry, a push-button wall control with lights, or a setup that opens the door as your car pulls up and closes it once you’re in.
MyQ, keypads and your car
LiftMaster’s MyQ puts the opener on your phone, iPhone or Android, so you can check from anywhere if you left the door up. We set up MyQ, program cars, and sort out wireless remotes and keypads that have stopped working, on our openers and on other brands. The rest of what we fix is on the garage door repair page.
Answers
Garage door openers: questions people ask
How long do garage door openers last?
Longer on a door that’s balanced. An opener is built to guide a door the springs are holding up; when the springs weaken, the motor starts doing their job and wears out early. Keeping spring tension right and the rollers moving freely is the best thing you can do for an opener’s life.
How much does it cost to install a new garage door opener?
It depends on the drive type (chain, belt or wall-mount jackshaft), the horsepower your door needs, if you want MyQ Wi-Fi and accessories like a keypad, and what has to come down first. Clay or Chad will quote it once they know the door and the ceiling it hangs under.
Can you program my car to open my garage door?
Yes. We program openers to the buttons built into many newer cars, often branded HomeLink, and set up LiftMaster’s MyQ for cars and phones that use it. Some older openers don’t talk to newer cars; an adapter or a newer opener solves that.
What is a jackshaft garage door opener?
A jackshaft opener mounts on the wall beside the door and turns the torsion bar directly, with no rail across the ceiling. It suits garages with ductwork or a beam in the way, or a tall ceiling, as long as there’s room at the side and the door uses torsion springs.
Do you repair Genie and other opener brands?
Yes. We’re an authorized LiftMaster installer, and we service Genie and the other common brands too. If a repair isn’t worth doing on an older unit, because parts are gone or the board failed after a lightning strike, we’ll say so before you spend anything on it.
Why does my garage door reverse before it closes?
Most often a safety sensor is blocked, dirty or out of line. If the sensors check out, the opener may be hitting its force limit because a roller is binding, a spring is weak or the force setting has drifted. Holding the wall button down to force it shut only hides the problem.
Is a belt drive garage door opener quieter than a chain drive?
Yes, noticeably. A reinforced belt runs smoother and quieter than a metal chain, which is why we suggest a belt drive whenever there’s a bonus room or bedroom above the garage. Chain drives are louder but still a sensible pick for a detached garage or shop where noise doesn’t bother anyone.