It happens more often than you’d expect: a homeowner, rushing to get to the early-morning commute, backs into his garage door before it has time to open fully. He may barely touch it. But, a small tap with a 2000-pound vehicle is a force of surprising power. The garage door crumples in protest or may end up off the track.
The garage door may just be stuck in the open position. The homeowner, thinking he just-needs-to-get-to-work-right-now, tries to close it, which is like moving a neck-injury victim–it tends to do a lot more harm. It doesn’t take much at all to cause even more damage to the belt, chain, motor, or opener, none of which are cheap or easy parts to replace. A better option is not to touch it and call a garage door specialist immediately.
DEALING WITH INSURANCE
Many homeowners procure vehicle insurance from the same insurance carrier who holds their homeowner’s policy. Technically, damage to the car should be addressed by auto insurance, and the homeowner’s insurance should handle damage to the garage door. However, the savvy homeowner may choose to pay the repairs from his pocket rather than involving his insurance company, in light of not only the deductible but also the potential for an increased premium rate hike.
PRIORITY REPAIR
Unfortunately, these decisions come at a time when the homeowner might be slightly emotional as a result of the mishap and being late for work. But getting the garage door fixed is a priority. The most natural solution is to get a couple of quotes before deciding on whether or not to involve the insurance company.
If you’ve been involved in a car/garage door mishap, and the door attached to the garage doesn’t have a deadbolt on it, that can also be a terrible security weakness. Some homeowners even opt to have Smart security in the garage, but at the very least, there should be a peephole installed in the door attached to the home.
The best thing to do is to take a deep breath and try to relax. You’re a capable person, and besides, you have a garage repair expert in your corner. It happens fairly often, and it may turn out to be an opportunity to upgrade the old door you wanted to replace.