It’s more common than you might think — a distracted driver backing out of the garage forgets to put the door up, or slides down the icy driveway right into the front of the closed door in a particularly cold Jessup, MD, winter. Dealing with a damaged garage door is different than dealing with a malfunctioning one in a few ways. The garage door replacement experts at Fred C. Johnson Co. share their tips for handling this situation wisely.

If you’re able to pull your car out of the garage, do so. Then, take a look at the damage. Often drivers will hit just the bottom of the door, but this can mess with other parts of the system. See that none of the lifting cables or track rollers have moved from their proper position. If they don’t look right, don’t try to mess with them, as there is a lot of tension in the system, which could end up injuring you. Call your garage door technician and explain what you see — this will help them understand what might be needed of them before they arrive.

After you have a repairman scheduled, call your insurance agency. If there’s any damage to your car, your policy may cover the expenses in repairing it. Your car insurance likely won’t cover the garage door repair, so talk with your homeowners insurance company about these specifics. Keep in mind the deductibles on your policies and how much the repair cost is — if deductibles are high enough, you may save money by paying for the work yourself. However, if you need a garage door replacement, it’s likely worth submitting a claim.

When you damage your garage door, the most important thing to remember is to never try to repair it yourself. It’s a complex system with a lot of tension in the cables, and you could injure yourself trying to fix it. Fred C. Johnson Co. is a trusted family-owned company offering unmatched expertise to repair your residential garage door quickly and properly. If it’s damaged bad enough, they specialize in garage door replacement as well. Contact them at (410) 792-2126 to schedule a technician visit, and visit their website for more details about the company and their services. You can also find the team on Facebook.