Garage Door Repair in Union City, NJ On the Palisades ridge

Housing here

Brownstones, two-families

Historically, Union City has been mostly brownstones and two-family homes, built on the lots of what were once two towns, West Hoboken and Union Hill, merged in 1925. Where a garage fits on lots like these, it tends to be single-width, and some are shared between units. A door that serves two households opens and closes more often, which shortens spring and roller life. The tech checks spring balance first, then the rollers and hinges that take the extra cycles.

Newer towers like The Thread, the city's first high-rise condo building, sit beside blocks of older houses, so the jobs here range widely from one block to the next. For a house garage, though, the questions are simple ones. Is the door balanced, does the opener reverse correctly when something is in the way, are the photo-eyes aligned, and do the remotes and keypad still work for everyone who uses them?

• Garage door repair, any make
• Spring replacement
• Opener and sensor repair
• Swing and sliding gate repair
• Gate operator service
• New doors and gates

Fix or upgrade

When a repair is enough and when it isn't

If the door moves but sounds rough, it usually needs adjustment, rollers or lubrication rather than replacement. A door that won't lift at all with a loud bang beforehand points to a broken spring. A door crooked in its opening points to cable or track trouble, which our cable repair page covers.

Panels dented by a car, rot in an older wood door, or a door that no longer seals against the floor are the usual reasons to replace. In a single-width opening on a narrow lot, measuring headroom and side clearance comes before choosing a style, since the space decides what will fit.