Tom Moore & Son — Garage Doors in New Town

A standard panel lift garage door (colorbond steel) costs $1,200–$2,500 installed. Roller doors cost $900–$2,000 installed. Timber garage doors cost $2,500–$6,000+. Adding an automatic opener (motor) adds $500–$1,000. Customised or insulated garage doors are at the higher end of the price range.

Quality garage door motors (B&D, Merlin, Automatic Technology) last 10–15 years with regular servicing. Motors are rated by cycle count — residential motors handle 15,000–25,000 cycles. Annual servicing (lubricating tracks and rollers, checking safety reversal sensors) significantly extends motor life. Replace when repairs cost more than 50% of a new motor.

Common causes: misaligned safety sensors (door reverses immediately), broken springs (door won't lift or falls quickly), worn rollers (door moves jerkily or loudly), cable off the drum, or a faulty motor circuit board. Broken torsion springs are the most common major repair — do not attempt DIY spring replacement as they are under extreme tension.

Roller doors coil vertically into a drum above the opening — requiring minimal ceiling clearance and providing maximum internal space. Panel lift (sectional) doors open horizontally in sections along ceiling tracks — requiring 300–500mm of ceiling clearance but available in a wider range of designs and materials including timber, glass inserts, and insulated panels.

Every 6 months: lubricate all moving parts (hinges, rollers, springs, tracks) with a silicone or lithium spray lubricant. Test the auto-reverse safety feature by placing a 50mm block of timber under the door — it should reverse on contact. Check the battery in the external keypad. Inspect weather seals for cracks or gaps.