Sunshine Coast Garage Doors, Repaired and Serviced Properly

Most garage door springs are rated for around 10,000 cycles. One cycle is one open and one close. A door used three or four times a day gets through that in roughly seven to ten years, and salt air near the beach can shorten it. If the door feels heavy, drops fast or the spring looks rusty or gapped, get it checked before it snaps.

No. Garage door springs hold a lot of tension, and a spring or winding bar that slips can cause serious injury. If a spring has snapped, don't use the opener and don't try to lift the door by hand. Keep kids, pets and cars clear, then call Thom. Springs are one job to leave to someone with the right tools.

Sometimes only a part has failed, like the logic board, a gear or the remote receiver. Other times the motor itself is worn out. Thom tests the opener, checks the rail and the door's balance, then tells you whether a repair will do or a replacement is the better call. An opener often struggles because the door is out of balance, so he checks that first.

Repairs and servicing are booked as a callout valued between $200 and $300, depending on the door size and the labour involved. The final figure depends on what the door needs, so tell Thom what it's doing when you book. He'll explain what the job is likely to involve before he starts, so you know where you stand on the day.

Once a year suits most homes. A service balances the springs, lubricates the rollers, hinges and tracks, tightens the bolts and brackets, checks the cables and drums, and tests the opener. Homes close to the beach cop more salt, so a check every six months is worth thinking about there. A door that's getting louder or slower is due now.

Thom is based in Maroochydore and works right across the Sunshine Coast. That covers the coastal suburbs from Point Arkwright and Mount Coolum down through Mooloolaba, the Kawana strip, Buderim and Sippy Downs, and the Caloundra suburbs from Kings Beach to Bells Creek. If your suburb isn't on the service areas list, call and ask.

Yes. Standard hours are 6am to 6pm, seven days, and Thom takes emergency callouts 24/7. An emergency is a door stuck open overnight, a snapped spring or cable, or a car trapped inside the garage. Call the number, tell him what's happening, and keep clear of the door until he gets there.