Garage door stuck in Winston-Salem?
Tap the problem that looks like yours to see what's probably wrong and what to do about it. When you're ready, call and we'll try to connect you with a local garage door company.
Call now(743) 232-DOOR(743) 232-3667 · Free call. Tap to connect with a local tech.We're a referral service, not a repair company.
What's your door doing?
A loud bang from the garage almost always means a broken torsion spring. Look above the door for a gap in the coiled spring.
Springs are usually replaced as a matched pair, and it's typically about an hour of work for a technician.
Don't lift the door by hand or with the opener. The other spring can fail too.
If the motor runs but nothing moves, it's often a stripped drive gear, a broken spring, or the door was disconnected with the red release cord.
Check first that the red release cord hasn't been pulled. If the door is heavy to lift by hand, the spring may be the real problem.
A tilted door usually means a snapped lift cable or rollers that came out of the track, often after a bump from a car.
Unplug the opener so nobody runs the door again until it's fixed.
Keep it closed if you can and keep cars and kids clear. A door off its track can fall.
This is usually the safety sensors near the floor. Check that both small lights are lit and the lenses are clean and lined up.
If that doesn't fix it, a sensor replacement is usually a short service call.
Worn rollers, dry hinges, or loose hardware make most of the noise. A tune-up often fixes it.
Don't grease the inside of the tracks. It collects dirt and makes the noise worse.
Dents, rust along the bottom panel, or a door that's simply worn out.
Have the door's width and height handy when you call, plus whether you want insulation or windows.
Garage door repairs people call about
Most calls in Forsyth County come down to six kinds of problems. Each page explains the warning signs, what a technician will do, and what to ask before work starts.
Spring repair
Broken torsion and extension springs, replaced as a matched pair.
Opener repair & install
LiftMaster, Chamberlain, Genie and more. Gears, boards, belts, new units.
Cables, rollers & tracks
Doors that are crooked, off track, noisy, or hanging by one cable.
New garage doors
Steel, insulated, wood-look and carriage house doors, measured and installed.
Tune-ups & maintenance
Lubrication, balance checks, weatherstripping, and quieter doors.
Commercial doors
Roll-up and sectional doors for shops, warehouses and storage units.
Repair or replace?
Most garage door problems are fixed with a repair, not a new door. Here's how it usually breaks down, so you know what to expect when you talk to a technician.
| What happened | Usually |
|---|---|
| Broken spring | Repair (new springs) |
| Snapped cable or door off track | Repair |
| Opener under 10 years old, gear or sensor problem | Repair |
| Old opener with no safety sensors | Replace |
| Several panels rusted, cracked or dented | Replace the door |
Please leave the springs alone
Torsion springs hold enough force to lift a 150 to 300 pound door. Wound or released without the right tools, they can break bones. The cables are under the same tension.
Safe things to try first: check that the sensor lights are on, make sure the lock bar isn't engaged, and try the wall button in case the remote battery is dead.
Why doors break here
Humid summers and spring pollen. The Triad's thick yellow pollen season and summer humidity gum up rollers and tracks, so doors get loud and sticky by July.
Cold snaps. Springs are steel under constant tension. They tend to give out on the first cold mornings of the year, when the metal is at its stiffest and the door is heaviest to lift.
Older and newer homes. Many houses in Ardmore, West End and Buena Vista have older detached garages with wood doors and extension springs. Newer subdivisions in Clemmons, Lewisville and Kernersville mostly have insulated steel doors with torsion springs and belt-drive openers.
How calling works
You call our line
Your call is answered by or forwarded to a garage door company that covers your area.
Describe what's happening
Say what you saw or heard, whether the door is open or closed, and your ZIP code.
Ask your questions
Ask what the visit includes and what the repair involves before work starts. You're never obligated to book.
Questions people ask
Who will I be talking to when I call?
This site is a free referral service. Your call is connected to an independent garage door company that serves the Winston-Salem area. We don't do repairs ourselves, and we may be paid by the company for the referral.
Can I replace a garage door spring myself?
We don't recommend it. Torsion springs hold enough tension to cause serious injury. Leave spring work to a trained technician with winding bars.
What should I ask before a technician starts work?
Ask exactly what's wrong and what the repair involves, whether they'll replace one spring or both, what warranty comes with the parts and the labor, and whether the technician is licensed and insured. Get the details in writing before work starts.
Is there a charge to call?
No. Calling and asking questions is free. Anything about the repair itself is between you and the company that does the work.
Need a garage door tech in Winston-Salem?
Free call. We'll try to connect you with an independent local garage door company.