Garage door questions, answered

Tedford doesn't list repair prices online because the cost depends on your door, and every repair is quoted up front for you to approve before any work begins.

Two doors with the same symptom can need very different fixes: a light single door and a heavy insulated double need different springs, and a cable that jumped its drum may or may not have damaged the drum itself. Rather than quote a range that might not fit, the technician assesses the door system, explains the options, such as one part versus a matched set, and gives you a free, upfront quote with no hidden costs. GST is added to all prices. If you decide not to go ahead, nothing further is done.

Garage door repair cost depends mostly on which part failed, how many parts need replacing, and the size and weight of the door.

A heavy insulated double door needs larger springs than a light single door, and replacing springs in pairs costs more than one spring but balances the door properly. Cables, drums, rollers and hinges add to the total if they're worn. Damage from an impact, such as a vehicle hitting the door, can involve panels or tracks. Tedford explains each item on the quote so you can see where the money goes before you approve it.

A fair garage door quote names each part and the labour, is given before work starts, and doesn't change once the job is underway unless you approve the change.

Be wary of a very low phone price that grows after the technician arrives, pressure to replace a whole door when a repair would do, or vague line items. Ask which springs or parts are being fitted, why they're needed and what warranty comes with them. Tedford gives you options and a free, upfront quote with no hidden costs before any work begins, and you're free to say no. A reputable company will also explain the repair-versus-replace trade-off honestly rather than pushing the bigger job.

A free, upfront quote with no hidden costs means you know the price of each option before any work starts, and the price you approve is the price of that work.

On a service visit, the technician assesses the door system, explains what's wrong in plain language and gives you the options, along with an honest recommendation. If something else turns up partway through the job, it's explained and priced for you to approve first. Nothing is added without your agreement, and if you'd rather not go ahead, that's your decision.

Tedford's $25 OFF offer applies to any residential garage door repair, such as a broken spring, a snapped cable, an off-track door or an opener repair.

Mention it when you call Tedford or book online so it's applied to your quote. New equipment has its own offers: $50 OFF a new residential opener with install and $100 OFF a new residential door with install. All three are for residential customers only. One offer per job, and the Specials page lists the current terms.

No, Tedford Garage Doors gives free estimates on new garage doors, openers, springs, remotes and keypads, so you can compare options before spending anything.

For a new door, Tedford measures the opening, checks headroom and framing, and gives you good, better and best options among the doors that will fit. For an opener, the estimate covers the drive type and features that suit your door's weight. If your door needs a repair instead, the technician assesses the door system and gives you options and an upfront quote before any repair is done. Call (778) 401-5134 or book online to arrange an estimate.

Payment for Tedford garage door work is due when the job is complete, and cash is accepted.

The amount follows the upfront quote you approved before the work started, and GST is added to all prices, so expect it on the invoice on top of the quoted price. If you'd like to pay another way, ask the office when you call or book. For a bigger purchase such as a new door, financing is available too; see the next question.

Yes, financing is available. Ask about the current options when you book your free estimate, and the office will go over them.

The current offer of $100 off a new residential door with install also brings the price down. Choosing a simpler panel design, fewer windows or a standard colour reduces the cost, and replacing an ageing opener at the same visit saves a second trip later. Tedford's quote lists each option separately, so you can compare a few versions before committing.

Yes. Travel charges apply to Gulf Islands trips and to locations past Sooke, because of the ferry crossings and longer drives, and are discussed when you book.

That covers trips to Salt Spring, Pender, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna islands, and to communities farther out the West Coast Road, such as Port Renfrew. Book as usual by phone or online, and the office will go over the available days, the travel charge and anything the technician should know about your door before the visit.

Repairing an older garage door is usually worth it when the panels, tracks and frame are sound and the problem is a part like a spring, cable, roller or opener.

Replacement starts to make more sense when sections are cracked, rusted through or badly dented, the door has been repaired repeatedly, or you want better insulation, less noise or a new look. Tedford's technicians assess the door, give you the options and an honest recommendation, and leave the decision with you. If you do choose a new door, the estimate is free and the current offer is $100 OFF a new residential door with install.

In the first few minutes after a garage door breaks, keep everyone away from it, stop using the opener and leave the door where it is rather than forcing it up or down.

Unplug the opener if you can reach the plug safely, so nobody presses a remote by mistake. From a distance, look for a gap in a spring above the door, a loose or hanging cable, or a door sitting crooked in its tracks, and take a photo if you can. Then call Tedford at (778) 401-5134. Phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and technicians are on call for emergency repairs after hours, and the office is open Monday – Friday, 7:15 am – 4:45 pm.

A garage door that won't close can be lowered by hand only if both springs and cables look intact and the door moves smoothly and evenly as you guide it.

With the door fully open, have one person hold the bottom of the door steady while another pulls the red emergency release cord, then lower it slowly together, keeping fingers away from the joints between sections. If the door feels very heavy, starts to drop or a cable is loose, stop: a spring may be broken and the door could fall. In that case, leave it open, lock the door between the garage and the house, and call Tedford to schedule a repair.

A garage door is dangerous to fix yourself because its springs store enough energy to lift a door that can weigh well over 70 kilograms, and that energy can release suddenly.

Torsion springs are wound under high tension, and the bottom brackets and cables carry the same load. Loosening the wrong bolt or using improvised tools to wind a spring can cause serious hand, arm and head injuries. Tightening loose hinge screws or cleaning the photo-eyes is fine, but springs, cables, bottom brackets and drums should be left to a trained technician such as those at Tedford.

Keeping children and pets safe around an automatic garage door starts with a working auto-reverse system, a wall button mounted out of reach, and a rule that nobody plays near the door.

Test the reverse monthly by laying a 2x4 flat on the floor in the door's path; the door should reverse as soon as it touches it. Keep the photo-eyes clean and aligned, about 15 centimetres off the floor. Store remotes away from small children. If the door doesn't reverse, stop using the opener and book a service visit: the technician tests the safety reverse and the safety sensors as part of a full inspection of the door system, and service trucks carry replacement sensors.

A garage door that's been bumped by a car isn't safe to run until you've checked that the tracks are straight, the rollers are seated and the bottom section isn't bent.

Even a low-speed bump can push a track out of line or crease the bottom section, and running the opener can then pull the door off its track or jam it partway. Look along both tracks for kinks and check the bottom corners where the cables attach. If anything looks out of place, leave the door closed and unplug the opener. Tedford repairs damaged panels and off-track doors and gives you options and an upfront quote before work starts.

Pressing the remote over and over when a garage door won't move can damage the opener and the door, so stop after one or two tries and look for the cause.

If the motor hums or runs but the door stays put, a spring or cable may have failed, or the door may be disconnected from the opener. Forcing it can strip the opener's gear, bend the door's top section or pull the door off its tracks. Look for a loose cable or a gap in a spring above the door, then call Tedford; same-day service is available, subject to technician availability.

Extension springs need safety cables because a stretched spring that snaps can fly across the garage with enough force to injure someone or damage a car.

A safety cable is a steel cable threaded through the centre of each extension spring and anchored at both ends, so a broken spring stays contained instead of whipping loose. Some older doors were installed without them, and others have lost them over the years. To check, look along the tracks near the ceiling: you should see a thin cable running through each spring. Torsion springs don't need them because they sit on a shaft. Tedford can fit safety cables or replace extension springs on a repair visit.

High-cycle garage door springs are made with heavier, longer coils so they last through more open-and-close cycles than standard springs, which suits doors used many times a day.

Standard residential springs are commonly rated around 10,000 cycles, and some builders fit undersized springs that wear out sooner still. Higher-cycle springs cost more up front but can mean fewer replacements over the life of the door, especially if the garage is your main entrance. Like any spring, they have to be matched to the door's weight and height. Tedford's service trucks are stocked with American-made springs, and spring replacements come with a choice of 1-, 3- or 5-year spring warranties.

Garage door springs benefit from a light coat of garage door lubricant a couple of times a year, which reduces friction between the coils, quietens squeaks and helps slow rust.

Use a silicone or lithium-based spray made for garage doors, apply it along the coils with the door closed, then run the door once to spread it and wipe off any drips. Lubricating is as far as spring care should go for a homeowner: never try to adjust, unwind or tighten a spring. In Greater Victoria, where damp winters and salt air speed up corrosion, a visibly rusty spring is worth having checked. Tedford checks spring condition as part of a full inspection of the door system on service visits and annual tune-ups.

Garage door cables fray from rust, age and rubbing, usually where they wrap around the drums at the top or attach to the bottom brackets near the floor.

Moisture from the South Island's wet winters attacks the steel strands, and a worn drum, a misaligned track or a cable that has jumped and been rewound unevenly makes it worse. Look for broken strands sticking out, kinks or rusty patches, but don't touch or try to tighten a cable, because it carries the door's weight under spring tension. A frayed cable can snap without warning and drop one side of the door. Tedford repairs snapped and worn cables and checks the drums and springs at the same time.

A garage door spring most often breaks while the door is closed, because that is when the spring is wound or stretched the most and carrying the most tension.

That's why many people discover the problem in the morning: they heard a bang from the garage the evening before, or the opener lifts the door a few centimetres and stops. If that happens, leave the door down. Opening it by hand or with the opener means lifting its full weight with nothing to hold it, and a closed door is the safest position to leave it in until it's repaired. Call Tedford: same-day service is available, subject to technician availability, and service trucks are stocked with springs.

Garage door springs can sometimes be adjusted instead of replaced, when they're intact but have lost some tension and the door no longer stays balanced.

Adding a few turns to a torsion spring can restore balance on a door that drifts down or feels heavy, but it's a job for a technician because the spring is under high tension. Adjustment isn't an option for a broken, badly rusted or undersized spring. Tedford checks the spring's condition first and tells you whether an adjustment or a replacement makes more sense before any work starts.

A garage door that only closes while you hold the wall button down usually has a safety sensor fault that has pushed the opener into its manual override.

On most modern openers, if the photo-eyes near the floor are blocked, dirty, misaligned or unplugged, the remote won't close the door but holding the wall button will. Wipe both lenses, check that each sensor's light is steady, and look for a loose or chewed wire along the wall. Holding the button is fine to get the door shut, but watch it all the way down, because the safety reverse isn't protecting anyone. Tedford's service trucks carry replacement safety sensors, and the technician can trace a wiring fault on the same call.

A garage door that opens partway and stops is usually hitting an opener travel limit, binding in a track, or straining against a weak or broken spring.

If it stops at the same point every time and otherwise runs normally, the opener's up-travel limit may need resetting. If it stops at different points, groans or jerks, a bent track, a seized roller or a tired spring is more likely, and the opener is stopping because it senses too much resistance. Don't turn up the force setting to push past it, because that weakens the safety reverse. Tedford can check the springs, tracks and opener together and give you options and an upfront quote.

A garage door that moves slower than it used to usually has dry or worn rollers and hinges, springs that have lost tension, or an opener whose motor or drive is wearing out.

As springs weaken, the opener has to lift more of the door's weight, so it slows down and strains, which shortens its life. Worn steel rollers and dry hinges add friction along the tracks. Start by lubricating the hinges and roller bearings, then test the balance: with the door closed, pull the release, lift the door halfway and let go; it should stay put. If it drops or feels heavy, have Tedford check the springs before the opener fails too.

A garage door that shakes or jerks as it moves usually has worn or dry rollers, loose hinges, a bent track, or springs that are no longer balancing the door properly.

Look along each track for dents or loose brackets, and listen for where the noise comes from as the door travels. Steel rollers with worn bearings often wobble and catch, and rollers collect more dirt and grime than any other part of the door. An unbalanced door makes the opener work harder, which shows up as jerky movement. Tedford can realign tracks, rebalance springs and replace worn rollers with upgraded nylon rollers that are built to keep grit out of the bearings and run quietly.

A garage door that opens or closes by itself is usually triggered by a stuck wall button, a faulty or forgotten remote, or a failing opener circuit board.

Unplug the opener for a minute to reset it, check the wall control for a sticky button, and take the batteries out of any spare remotes. If it keeps happening, clear the opener's memory and reprogram only the remotes you use. Tedford can test the opener, replace a worn wall control, or recommend a new opener if the logic board is at fault.

A garage door is less likely to come off its track again once the cause is fixed, usually worn rollers, a loose or bent track, or too much opener force.

Rollers with worn bearings wobble and can pop out, and track brackets that work loose let the track spread. A bump from a car can kink a track just enough to catch a roller weeks later. Keep the area under the door clear, test the auto-reverse monthly and never turn up the opener's force setting to get past a sticking spot. Tedford repairs off-track doors and checks the rollers, tracks and cables to find the cause, not just the symptom.

A sagging or bowed garage door can often be fixed with a steel reinforcing strut across the affected section, as long as the panel isn't creased, cracked or rusted through.

Wide double doors, older doors without struts, and top sections carrying the opener bracket are the ones that sag most. A bowed section can make the door bind in the tracks or let the opener pull it out of shape. A strut stiffens the section, and because it adds weight, the springs may need rebalancing afterwards. If a section is badly bent, replacing it or the whole door may make more sense. Tedford checks the door and quotes the options before any work starts.

A garage door opener that works from the wall button but not the remote usually has a dead remote battery, lost programming, or the wall control's lock mode switched on.

Start with a fresh battery. Many LiftMaster wall controls have a lock button that blocks every remote while the wall button still works; a flashing light on the wall control often means it's on, and holding the lock button for a couple of seconds turns it off. If one remote works and another doesn't, reprogram the faulty one with the learn button on the motor unit. If no remote works at all, Tedford can test the opener's receiver.

A handy homeowner can install a garage door opener, but only on a door that is already well balanced, with the safety sensors and force settings set up exactly as the manufacturer instructs.

An opener should never make up for weak springs, so test the balance first: disconnected from any opener, the door should stay put halfway up. Mounting the rail, header bracket and photo-eyes takes care, and a wall-mount opener needs a torsion-spring door. If the door is heavy, the springs are tired or you'd rather not work on a ladder near the door, Tedford installs LiftMaster openers, select models carry lifetime motor and belt parts warranties, and the technician can check the door's balance at the same visit. The current offer is $50 OFF a new residential opener with install.

Basic myQ control on a LiftMaster opener, meaning opening, closing and checking the door from your phone, works through the free myQ app without a subscription.

Some add-ons and partner features, such as in-garage delivery services, video storage on myQ cameras, or certain smart-home integrations, have carried separate fees, and those terms change from time to time, so check the current details in the app. You'll also need a reliable Wi-Fi signal in the garage. Tedford can install a myQ-equipped LiftMaster opener or advise on adding smart control to the opener you have.

After buying a house, clear the garage door opener's memory with the learn button on the motor unit, then reprogram only the remotes and keypad you're keeping.

On most LiftMaster openers, holding the learn button for about six seconds until its light goes out erases every remote and keypad paired with it. Then set a new keypad code and reprogram your car's built-in button if you use one. This shuts out anyone holding an old remote from a previous owner. If the opener is very old or the buttons are hard to reach, Tedford can do it during a service visit, and estimates on new remotes and keypads are free.

A garage door remote that only works up close usually has a weak battery, interference from LED bulbs or other electronics, or an opener antenna that's damaged or tucked away.

Start with a fresh battery in the remote. LED bulbs in the opener's light are a common source of interference; bulbs labelled as compatible with garage door openers solve it. Make sure the antenna wire hanging from the motor unit points down and isn't touching metal. If range is still poor on every remote, Tedford can test the opener's receiver and suggest a fix or a replacement.

A garage door opener should plug into a properly installed outlet on the ceiling near the motor unit, not into an extension cord or a power bar strung across the ceiling.

Extension cords can overheat, get snagged by the moving door and make the opener unreliable. Openers with battery backup or Wi-Fi also need steady power to stay charged and connected. If your garage has no ceiling outlet where the opener will hang, have a licensed electrician add one before the install. It's also worth checking whether the outlet is on a circuit that trips easily, which can make an opener seem dead. Tedford can tell you where the outlet needs to go when you book an opener install.

Battery backup is worth having on a garage door opener around Victoria, where winter windstorms can knock out power, sometimes for hours or longer in rural areas like Metchosin, Sooke and the Gulf Islands.

With a backup battery, the opener can still open and close the door a number of times during an outage, so you aren't lifting the door by hand or stuck with a car inside. It's especially useful if anyone in the household would struggle to pull the emergency release and lift a heavy door. Many LiftMaster models include or accept a battery, and Tedford can recommend one when you replace your opener.

Good, better and best describe what's inside a steel garage door: a good door is a single layer of steel with no insulation, a better door adds a thick layer of insulation, and a best door has more insulation covered by a second sheet of steel on the inside.

A good door still has a strong steel face, struts for support and a bottom seal to keep weather and bugs out, and suits a detached or unheated garage. Adding insulation makes the door steadier and smoother as it moves and keeps the garage more comfortable, which matters if you work or spend time in there. The best doors are the thickest and most durable, but they're also heavier, so they need stronger springs and an opener matched to the weight. Tedford gives you good, better and best options at your free estimate so you can compare.

Yes, Tedford installs modern and wood-look garage doors from Clopay, including the Modern Steel, Canyon Ridge, Reserve, Grand Harbor and Cypress collections, alongside traditional steel doors.

Modern Steel doors suit contemporary and mid-century homes, with or without grooves, in paint or woodgrain finishes. Canyon Ridge doors put faux wood composite overlays on an insulated steel base, in modern and carriage-house designs, for the look of wood with far less upkeep. Reserve doors are handcrafted from natural wood, and Grand Harbor gives a carriage-house look in steel. Tedford also supplies aluminum full-view doors and doors from Amarr, Garaga, Steelcraft and Northwest Door, and can show you the options at a free in-home estimate.

A wood garage door in a wet-winter climate like Greater Victoria's needs its paint or stain checked every year and refinished every few years to stop moisture swelling and rotting the wood.

The bottom section and the lower edges of each panel take the most water, so look there first for peeling finish, dark staining or soft spots. Keep the bottom seal in good shape and make sure water drains away from the door rather than pooling against it. If you love the look but not the upkeep, woodgrain steel and composite doors give a similar appearance with far less maintenance, and Tedford can show you wood-look options at the estimate.

Sectional garage doors are hinged horizontal panels that roll up on tracks to the ceiling, roll-up doors coil around a drum above the opening, and tilt-up doors swing out as one solid piece.

Sectional doors are the standard on homes today because they seal well, can be insulated and don't need space on the driveway to open. Roll-up doors are mostly found on commercial buildings and storage units, and Tedford supplies those through its commercial work. One-piece tilt-up doors were common on older homes; they swing outward as they open, need clearance in front of the garage and are hard to seal and insulate. Replacing a tilt-up with a sectional door usually means new track and springs, and Tedford can price that as part of the estimate.

In Greater Victoria, a garage door in roughly the R-9 to R-18 range suits most attached garages, with higher values worth it if the garage is heated or sits under living space.

The South Island's mild, wet winters mean you don't need extreme insulation, but an insulated door keeps an attached garage warmer, reduces condensation and quietens the door. Polyurethane foam gives more R-value per centimetre than polystyrene and adds stiffness. If the garage doubles as a workshop or gym, aim higher. Tedford can compare insulated options from Clopay and other brands at your free estimate.

Two single garage doors can often become one double door, but removing the centre post means installing a new structural header, which normally needs a building permit.

The centre post usually helps carry the wall and anything above it, so the wider opening needs a header sized for the span, sometimes by an engineer. Check with your municipality, and with your strata if you have one, before planning the work. A single 16-foot door gives one wide opening that's easier to park in, while two singles keep a post that some people like for separate bays. Once the framing is done, Tedford can measure the new opening and quote the door.

A garage with a low ceiling can still take a modern sectional garage door, using low-headroom track hardware and a wall-mount opener instead of a ceiling-mounted one.

A standard torsion spring setup typically needs around 30 to 38 centimetres of space above the door opening. Low-headroom kits work with much less, and a wall-mount (jackshaft) opener removes the need for a rail down the middle of the ceiling. These options are common in older Victoria homes and converted garages. Tedford measures your headroom on site and recommends the right track and opener setup.

A garage door can be replaced in Victoria at any time of year, but planning ahead gets the new door and seals in before the heaviest fall and winter rain.

New doors are ordered to fit your opening and typically arrive in 1–4 weeks, so ask about timing when you get your estimate if you have a deadline such as a house sale. Dry weather also makes painting or touching up the trim around the opening easier. Tedford's offer of $100 off a new residential door with install runs until further notice (one offer per job).

Standard garage doors are 8x7 or 9x7 feet for a single and 16x7 or 16x8 feet for a double, written as width by height.

The 8-foot height suits lifted trucks and roof racks. To measure, take the width and height of the finished opening at its widest and tallest points, in feet and inches, since doors in Canada are still sold that way. Then measure the headroom from the top of the opening to the ceiling, the side room beside each jamb, and the depth back into the garage, because the tracks, springs and opener need that space. Older homes around Victoria sometimes have openings that don't match a standard size. Tedford's free estimate on a new door includes measuring all of this on site, so the door is ordered to fit.

A big-box or home-centre garage door can look cheaper, but the comparison is only fair once installation, hardware and the door's specifications are included.

Retail doors are often sold in stock sizes, with installation arranged separately, while a dealer usually measures the opening, sizes the springs to the door's weight and handles the install and any follow-up adjustments. When comparing, check the steel gauge, insulation type, track and spring hardware, whether an opener is included, and what the installation and hardware warranties cover. Ask both for a full price. Tedford gives free estimates on new garage doors, new door installations carry a 1-year labour warranty, and new Clopay door packages can add Gold Bar, Clopay's optional limited lifetime parts warranty.

A new garage door from Tedford typically arrives 1–4 weeks after you approve the quote, and installation usually takes 4–8 hours on site.

The lead time depends on the model, size, colour and options, because each door is ordered to fit your opening; stock sizes in common colours tend to arrive sooner than special finishes or decorative glass. A straight swap on existing track sits at the quicker end of the install range, while a job that adds new track, an opener or a tilt-up conversion takes longer. Ask about timing at your free estimate so you can plan for the day the garage is out of use.

It depends on the job. When the job requires it, removal and disposal of the old door is quoted as a separate line item, so you can see exactly what it adds to the price before you approve anything.

Taking an old door down is a job for a technician rather than a homeowner, because its springs and cables stay under high tension until they're safely released. If you have plans for the old door, mention them when the technician measures for the new one.

Customer-supplied doors and openers are considered case by case, so call before you buy, or as soon as you have the equipment, and describe what you have in mind.

Have the brand, model and size handy. The technician needs to know whether the door suits your opening and comes with the right springs and hardware, and whether an opener suits the door's weight and has working safety sensors. Tedford can then tell you whether it can install it and what the job would involve.

A simple seasonal garage door routine in Victoria means lubricating and checking seals in fall, keeping the threshold clear in winter, and rinsing and cleaning in spring.

In early fall, before the rains, lubricate the hinges, roller bearings and springs and look over the bottom seal for cracks. In winter, clear slush or leaves from under the door so the seal closes properly and doesn't freeze to the floor on a cold night. In spring, rinse salt and grime off the panels and wipe the tracks and photo-eye lenses. Every month, test the auto-reverse with a 2x4 laid flat in the doorway. Leave springs, cables and drums to a technician; an annual tune-up covers lubrication, balance and safety-reverse tests and a full inspection of the door system.

To clean and realign garage door safety sensors, wipe both lenses with a soft cloth, then adjust the brackets until the indicator lights on both photo-eyes glow steadily.

The sensors sit on each side of the door about 15 centimetres off the floor. Cobwebs, dust and rain spatter can block the beam, and a knock from a bike, a bin or a lawnmower can push a bracket out of line. Loosen the wing nut, aim the sensor at its partner and tighten it once the light stops flickering. Check that the wires aren't loose or chewed, then confirm the door reverses when you pass an object through the beam. If the lights still won't settle, Tedford can test the wiring or replace the sensors from stock on the truck.

Warning signs that a garage door needs professional service include a loud bang, frayed cables, a door that hangs crooked, jerky movement, a door that won't stay halfway open, and a failing auto-reverse.

Other signs are gaps between the door and the floor, rollers wobbling or popping out of the track, rust on the springs, and an opener that strains or stops partway. Catching these early often means a simpler repair than waiting for the door to fail. If you notice any of them, book a service visit: the technician carries out a full inspection of the door system before giving you repair options, and same-day service is available, subject to technician availability.

The age of a garage door or opener is usually on the manufacturer's label, found inside a door section or along its edge, and on the opener's motor unit.

Labels show a model number and serial number and sometimes a manufacturing date; the serial number can encode the date even when it isn't printed separately. Opener age matters because units built before photo-eye sensors became standard in the early 1990s lack modern safety features. If the labels are missing or faded, the style of the opener and remotes gives clues. Tedford can help identify the make and model during a visit, which also helps when sourcing parts or making a warranty claim.

A garage door that drifts down or creeps up when you let go of it partway is out of balance, which means its springs no longer match the door's weight.

A door that drifts down usually has springs that have lost tension with age, or one spring close to breaking. A door that creeps up may have springs that are too strong or wound too tight, sometimes after heavier panels or a strut were added without changing the springs. Either way, the opener has to work harder and wears out faster. Don't adjust the springs yourself. The Maintenance page explains the balance test step by step, and Tedford can rebalance the door or replace worn springs.

Garage door weatherstripping and the bottom seal should be replaced when they're cracked, flattened or torn, or when you see daylight, water or leaves getting in around the door.

Rubber seals harden with age and sun exposure, and steady winter rain shows up gaps quickly. A worn bottom seal also lets in mice and cold drafts. Some doors take a replacement seal in the existing retainer, while others need a new retainer too. Tedford replaces weather stripping and exterior vinyl and moulding, and can do it during a repair or tune-up visit.

Salt air and steady winter rain can wear out garage door springs, hinges, rollers and fasteners faster, especially in homes close to the water in places like Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Sidney, Sooke and Salt Spring Island.

Moisture and salt speed up rust on springs, which shortens their life and can make them break with little warning. The bottom seal and the lowest door section take the most water. Rinsing the door's exterior a few times a year, keeping metal parts lightly lubricated, and replacing worn seals all help. On a service visit or tune-up, the technician's full inspection of the door system covers the springs, cables, rollers and seals most affected by coastal conditions.

Strong windstorms can damage a garage door, mainly by flexing wide double doors in and out and loosening track brackets, hinges and the seals along the edges.

Winter storms bring gusts off the Strait that push hard on a large flat door, and a single-skin uninsulated door flexes more than an insulated one with a steel back. Keep the door fully closed during a storm, and afterwards look for a bowed section, loose bolts or a door that suddenly runs rough. The power cuts that come with those storms are another reason a battery-backup opener is useful. Tedford can check for storm damage and quote any repair.

Water pools in front of a garage door when the driveway slopes toward it or the concrete has settled, so the fix is usually better drainage plus a good door seal.

A trench drain across the driveway, regrading, or repairing a sunken slab directs water away. At the door itself, a threshold seal fixed to the floor gives the bottom seal something to press against and helps hold back shallow water, while a worn bottom seal lets it straight in. Concrete and drainage work belongs to a paving or concrete contractor; Tedford replaces bottom and side weather seals, and the Maintenance page covers seal leaks in more detail.

Condensation on the inside of a garage door forms when warm, moist air in the garage meets the cold steel skin, which happens often during the South Island's damp winters.

Wet cars, drying laundry and an uninsulated single-layer steel door all make it worse. Better ventilation and a dehumidifier help, and an insulated door with a steel back keeps the inner surface warmer so moisture doesn't collect. Over time, constant condensation can rust hardware and the bottom section. Tedford can show you insulated door options if condensation is a regular problem.

Yes, Tedford Garage Doors Victoria sells, installs, repairs and services commercial overhead doors as well as residential garage doors, for businesses from Victoria up to Nanaimo.

Commercial clients include auto shops, RV buildings, warehouses, retail stores and government buildings. As a Clopay Master Authorized Dealer, Tedford supplies Clopay's commercial door lines, along with specialty doors and hardware from other manufacturers when a job calls for them. There's no separate commercial line: call (778) 401-5134 to talk through a commercial project.

Tedford installs Clopay commercial doors including insulated steel sectional doors, non-insulated ribbed steel doors, Architectural Series aluminum full-view doors, roll-up sheet doors, rolling steel doors and custom-engineered doors.

Insulated sectional doors come with polystyrene or polyurethane insulation, including the Energy Series with Intellicore, for buildings that need temperature control. Non-insulated ribbed steel doors from the Industrial and Economy series suit unheated buildings. Aluminum full-view doors let daylight in and give a building a modern look, roll-up sheet doors suit self-storage and mini-warehouse units, and custom-engineered doors cover large or unusual openings. Tedford can recommend a door once it knows the opening size and how the building is used.

Yes, Tedford supplies specialty products including rolling steel fire doors, MobilFlex grilles, mini-storage roll-up doors, counter shutters, wood accordion doors and Richards-Wilcox sliding door hardware.

Grilles secure an opening while keeping it visible, and counter shutters close off service windows and counters. Because these products are specified job by job, call with the opening size and how the space is used, and Tedford can recommend options and arrange a quote.

Yes, contractors and new construction projects are welcome, and Tedford supplies and installs commercial doors for new buildings as well as replacements.

Share the opening sizes, the door schedule or drawings if you have them, and details such as insulation, glazing or operator requirements, and Tedford can recommend suitable doors and quote the job. Being a Clopay Master Authorized Dealer gives access to Clopay's full commercial range, from economy ribbed steel to custom-engineered doors.

Tedford repairs and services commercial doors as well as installing new ones, but the current specials are for residential customers only.

A commercial repair starts with the technician assessing the door and its operator, then explaining the options and the price before any work is done. If a door is stuck open and leaving a building unsecured, call (778) 401-5134: phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and technicians are on call for emergency repairs after hours.

Tedford Garage Doors Victoria serves Greater Victoria, the Saanich Peninsula, the West Shore, Sooke, South Cowichan and the Gulf Islands from its shop at 723B Vanalman Ave, Victoria, BC V8Z 3B6.

That covers Victoria (including James Bay), Saanich (including Gordon Head and Cordova Bay), Oak Bay, Esquimalt and View Royal; Langford, Colwood (including Royal Bay), Metchosin, the Highlands, Goldstream and Millstream on the West Shore; Central Saanich, Saanichton, Brentwood Bay, North Saanich and Sidney on the Peninsula; Sooke, East Sooke, Milnes Landing, Saseenos and Otter Point out to Port Renfrew; the Malahat, Bamberton, Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake and Cobble Hill; and Salt Spring, Pender, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna islands. If you're not sure whether your address is covered, call (778) 401-5134 and the office will confirm.

Yes, Tedford Garage Doors Victoria serves Salt Spring Island, including Ganges, Fulford Harbour and Vesuvius Bay, along with Pender, Galiano, Mayne and Saturna islands; Samuel Island is served along with Saturna.

Island visits are booked by phone or online, and the office arranges a visit time with you. Travel charges apply to Gulf Islands trips and to locations past Sooke, because of the ferry crossings and longer drives, and are discussed when you book. When you call, describe the problem and note the door and opener brands if you can see them, so the technician arrives with the right parts. Free estimates on new doors and openers are available on the islands too.

Tedford Garage Doors Victoria serves South Cowichan, over the Malahat: Mill Bay, Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill and Bamberton. Residential garage door calls in Cowichan Bay, Koksilah, Duncan and the rest of the Cowichan Valley are handled by Tedford's sister location, Tedford Garage Doors Nanaimo, while commercial door work anywhere from Victoria up to Nanaimo, the Cowichan Valley included, comes to the Victoria team.

Both locations are part of the same family-owned company that has worked on Vancouver Island garage doors since 1984. You can also reach the other location through the location switch at the top of this site.

Tedford Garage Doors has been in business on Vancouver Island since 1984, which adds up to 40+ years of repairing and installing garage doors on the Island.

The company started in Victoria and is still run by the same family, working from a shop at 723B Vanalman Ave in Saanich's Carey and Glanford area. Tedford Garage Doors Victoria is rated 4.9 from 1,836+ Google reviews, and recent reviews mention technicians who arrive on time, explain the problem clearly and give an honest recommendation before any work begins.

Tedford Garage Doors Victoria is a Clopay Master Authorized Dealer and a LiftMaster Authorized Dealer, a BBB Accredited Business with an A+ rating, and licensed and insured in BC with WorkSafeBC coverage. Its team includes Canadian Door Institute (CDI) certified technicians, and it is a business member of the Vancouver Island Strata Owners Association (VISOA).

Those dealer partnerships mean Tedford sells and installs Clopay garage doors and LiftMaster openers directly, alongside Amarr, Garaga, Steelcraft, Northwest Door doors, can supply doors from almost any manufacturer and services all makes and models. Its technicians are fully licensed, trained professionals, and being licensed and insured, with WorkSafeBC coverage, protects you as the property owner if something goes wrong on the job. When you compare garage door companies, it's reasonable to ask each of them for the same details.

Before hiring a garage door company, ask whether it's licensed and insured in BC, whether you'll get a firm price before work starts, and what the warranty covers on parts and labour.

It's also worth asking which brands of springs, doors and openers they fit, whether they're an authorized dealer, how long they've worked locally, and what recent customers say on Google. Be cautious with companies that quote only a low call-out price by phone. Tedford is licensed and insured in BC, gives options and a free, upfront quote with no hidden costs before any work begins, and has served the Island since 1984.

Spring replacements come with a choice of 1-, 3- or 5-year spring warranties, and the springs are stocked on the truck, ready to go, so many spring repairs are finished on the first visit. New door installations carry a 1-year labour warranty, and on a new Clopay door package you can add Gold Bar, Clopay's optional limited lifetime parts warranty.

On openers, there are lifetime motor and belt parts warranties on select LiftMaster models, and the doors and openers themselves carry their manufacturer's warranty, which differs by part (sections, finish, springs, motor). Tedford also provides warranty service for all manufacturer warranties, including lifetime warranties, so you call one local company if something fails. Coastal homeowners should ask how salt exposure affects finish coverage. Keep your invoice and model numbers so any claim is straightforward.