Repair and Maintenance Specialists!
All your repair needs in one place!
Why O’Brien?
High-Quality Professional Repairs
A Company You Can Trust
Answer Phones 7 Days a Week
Fast, Friendly Service
Comprehensive Warranties
Care For Our Customers
Frequently Asked Questions
We are here to answer all your questions!
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In most cases, your garage door should be able to be lifted easily by hand when disengaged from the automatic door opener. If your door is heavy, it may be a sign that your springs are not tensioned properly, the wrong spring(s) is on the door, or you have a broken spring, as the springs are what do most of the lifting of the door. If this problem is not remedied quickly, it may cause severe damage to the automatic door opener, as it is only in place to gently assist the door in its opening and closing and is not meant to bear heavy loads.
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The most common reason a door will not open is that the spring (what does the lifting of the door) is broken. There can also be a problem with the automatic door opener, or a moving part such as rollers may be getting jammed or stuck, or perhaps one of the lift cables is off the drum.
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In many cases, the door will not close all the way when there is a problem with the safety sensors. It may think something is in the way, so it goes down a little but then pops back up as to not hit the perceived object. This could be because something is in the way, the sensors need an adjustment, or the sensors need to be replaced altogether. Often, older sensors may become sensitive to the sun’s rays and start to act up at a particular time of day. Aside from the sensors, you may be experiencing a problem with any moving part getting caught or jammed causing it to reverse.
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There are several signs that you may have a broken garage door spring. 1. The door will only raise a few inches. 2. The door is extremely heavy to lift. 3. You heard a loud pop noise and now the door probably does not lift. Visually, you will see the spring broken in two (not to be confused with two springs.) Springs should be replaced immediately so as to not strip out the automatic opener due to heavy weight.
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If the door will even open, we highly advise against it. This can cause it to come off track and also cause severe damage to the garage door opener.
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In most cases, if you have a broken spring, we will generally recommend replacing both springs. The reason is because the two springs were most likely installed at the same time and will have the same lifecycle. If one spring is broken, the second spring is probably pretty close behind it. If the second spring is replaced at the same time, you will avoid another trip and labor fee to replace the second one when it breaks.
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For most major garage door repairs, we suggest hiring a professionally trained technician. The reason for this is that the garage doors carry a tremendous amount of torque and pressure and may result in serious injury if the proper tools are not used and if one is not experienced in this line of work.
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Yes! There are several ways to make your system quieter. Our comprehensive tune up will help to reduce noise with lubrication and tightening hinges, bolts, and screws. You may also opt to change your rollers to high-performance, steel ball-bearing, nylon coated rollers to reduce noise and help the system run more smoothly. Lastly, you may choose to upgrade your garage door opener to our professional grade belt drive opener that is known to be one of the quietest openers on the market today.
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Keeping salt bags, pool chemicals, and other chemicals away from the garage door track will help prevent rust and corrosion on the track and crucial moving parts. Over time, however, we may bring in salt on our tires from the roads, that combined with moisture may cause some rusting damage.
Repair Services
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We specialize in maintenance! If your door is noisy or jerky, a tune-up may be just what you need. Our preventive maintenance tune-up will include lubrication, tightening of any loose hinges and bolts, checking the safety reversal system for proper functioning, doing a complete diagnosis on your system, and answering any questions you may have. We recommend a tune-up once per year to catch any potential hazards and help maintain the system over the years.
Ways to further reduce noise:
Changing the opener to a professional grade “whisper” belt drive opener
Changing the rollers to premium steel, ball-bearing, nylon coated rollers
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If your garage door has come off its tracking or the cables have come off the spools, you definitely do not want to try operating the door. Our technicians will assess the damage, put the door back on its track, and make sure all the moving parts such as springs, cables, drums, torsion springs, etc are in proper balance for smooth operation.
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Is your garage door opener malfunctioning? Remotes not working, reversing, motor running but not lifting? At O’Brien, we carry many brand-specific replacement parts such as Liftmaster Professional, Chamberlain, and Genie to get you taken care of quickly with the most effective parts for your opener. Some common replacement parts will be circuit boards, remote controls, wall switches, limit switches, safety sensors, keypads, gear and sprockets, and more! If we do not have what you need and it is still manufactured, we can often order it and come back out. If you prefer to replace your opener, we carry the highest quality, professional grade, technologically advanced openers for strength, longevity, and optimal functionality.
Reasons you may choose to replace vs repair:
If replacement parts are no longer manufactured
If the cost of repair is higher than the cost of replacement
If the opener is older and even though the cost of repair may be less, it may likely run into more issues in the future leading to further costs
If you are looking to upgrade your opener because of noise reduction, advanced technological and safety features, or you need a stronger motor
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Is your garage door spring broken or your door is extremely heavy? We’re here to help! Garage door spring replacements are one of our most common repairs. In time, springs will inevitably loose tension and/or break. The time will depend on the quality and lifecycle of the spring along with how well the system is maintained and how often the door is opened and closed. If a spring is broken, it needs to be replaced right away. If not, it can cause the door to come off track, more than likely will not lift, and if it does, can cause severe damage to the automatic door opener. If the spring has not broken but the door is heavy, the springs may not be in optimal condition and should probably be replaced. At O’Brien, we install high quality springs for longevity and your peace of mind.
Common Questions:
Should I replace one spring or two? If only one spring is broken on a two spring system, we generally recommend replacing the second spring as well because it will most likely have the same lifecycle as the broken one and will probably break soon as well. Replacing it on the spot will eliminate a second visit with additional labor and trip charges.
My spring is not broken but my door is heavy This may be a sign that the springs have lost their proper tension and/or are at the end of their lifecycle. If you replace the springs before they break, you may avoid being stuck inside or outside of the garage, the door coming off track, or damage to the opener.
Should I replace my own spring? We advise against this unless you have experience changing garage door springs. The doors and opening system carries a high amount of pressure and torque that can result in serious injury without the proper tools and training.
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If the crucial moving parts of your garage door such as rollers, cables, drums, hinges, tracks, and pulleys are wearing down or have become brittle or rusted, we recommend changing them out before they break and potentially cause damage to the door system. We consider the “bones” of the garage door to be just as important, if not more important than, the garage door itself. All of our hardware is commercial grade, high-quality steel.
Roller changeout: Having a high-quality roller is very important because the rollers are what carry the door up and down over and over. Having rollers that are brittle, rusted, or low quality may cause the door to come off track. Our rollers are steel ball bearing, nylon coated for strength and smooth/quiet operation.
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At all times, the springs and door need to be properly balanced to prevent it from coming off its track or becoming lopsided. If your springs are losing tension, we can re-tension them. However, it is important to note that there may be a reason they are losing tension. They may be near the end of their lifecycle, and if they are re-tensioned, it may actually make them break sooner, sometimes in the process of adjusting them.
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Do you have only one panel that is damaged and prefer not to purchase a whole new door? We’ve got you covered! In many cases, we can match a panel by knowing the manufacturer, model, color, and size. We can send a technician out to get all the specifics, and if it is still manufactured, can get it ordered and installed. If you have all the details, we can also work you up a quote over email by contacting our door specialist team. We are able to get garage door panels for many manufacturers such as Amarr, Clopay, C.H.I., Wayne Dalton, and more!
Considering a new door instead? Reach out to our door specialists to discuss options! You may consider a new door over panel replacement if:
More than one panel is damaged; cost starts to get close to a new door
The manufacturer no longer makes the particular panel
You prefer to upgrade your garage door because it is older/breaking down or you prefer a different style
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Are you looking to seal up small gaps around or under the garage door to help keep the elements and critters at bay? We’ve got you covered! We carry a variety of bottom seals along with a variety of colors for perimeter vinyl trim to match your door or color scheme. Please note: if you have a foundation issue that is causing gaps in the door, changing the seal will most likely not fix this problem.
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Whether your garage door problem is listed above or not, it is likely that we are able to assist! We are your garage door repair specialists and eager to help out with your unique garage door issues. Our technicians will arrive ready to assess your system, answer any questions you may have, and get started on a repair solution that meets your needs.
Other Services
“Phenomenal company to do business with! Easy from start to finish. They call on the way, which usually you have to request. Mike was honest and not pushy, whatsoever. Gave me options to get more life out of my garage door opener or replace. I chose replacement and he did the job right! This thing is just as quiet as promised. He didn’t just install, he made sure that everything else was in good working order and helped me download the app ( yes you can open the garage from your phone!) and paired my car with the new opener. Pricing was extremely reasonable, too. Highly recommend doing business with O’Brien!”
— Randi T.
“O'Brien's team did a fantastic job repairing a door of my attached 2 car garage in the Federal Hill area. I called them from a mailer ad. Jerri had Mike out at a day and time that worked for me! I had to replace the 4 door panels. No pressure. They got me the parts for I needed and didn't up charge nor push things I didn't. This company gives mom-and-pop attention but don't let that fool you. I was out of town for the second part of repair and a family member was able to let them in. I was able to pay remote via a texted link! This all happened mid-May. I love them so much, I am posting this review over 1 month later. They deserve full praise!”
— Josemartin I.