Common questions
My garage door won't open — what's wrong?
Often a broken torsion spring. Two signs point to it: a loud bang from the garage, and a door that suddenly feels far too heavy to lift by hand. The opener is probably fine — without the spring's counterbalance, the door is more weight than it was built to lift.
Can I replace a spring myself?
Please don't. The spring stores enough energy to lift an 80 to 150 kilo door, and that energy is there with the door open or shut. Without proper winding bars, a slip can cause a serious hand injury. The spring costs little — the safe technique is the real cost.
Does garage door work need a licence in Queensland?
Not for repairs. The QBCC does not class repairs or servicing as building work, so springs, cables, motors, tracks and panels need no licence. A licensed contractor is needed only when the job cuts a new opening or alters the structure.
Why do doors up on the range fail differently?
Altitude and damp. Maleny, Montville and Mapleton sit about 320 to 460 metres up, and BoM's Maleny station averaged about a third more rain a year than the coast. That moisture gets into opener housings and circuit boards. Down at Mooloolaba the same door fails from salt in the cables instead. Different cause, different part, different fix.
The house is a holiday let and the door has seized — is it broken?
Not always. A door that hasn't been cycled for months stiffens up, and the opener strains against tight rollers and dry tracks. It can read like a motor problem when the motor is fine. If a property sits empty, cycling the door occasionally does more good than anything else.
What does a repair cost?
Expect $150 to $600 for most repairs. The service call is $90 to $180, and we tell you when you book whether it comes off the final bill. Springs and cables fall mid-range. Motors depend on whether the board can be fixed or the opener must be replaced.
The door closes then reopens immediately
Check the safety sensors first — the two small eyes either side of the opening, near the floor. If one is knocked out of line, dirty or blocked, the opener reverses to be safe. Wiping and realigning them often solves it without a visit.
How long does a repair take?
A spring, cable or roller job can usually be finished on the first visit; we give you a time when we quote. Panels and colour-matched sections are ordered in, so they need a return visit.
