Frequently Asked Questions

For a garage door stuck open or a broken spring sealing your car inside, our goal is same-day service across Selma and the surrounding area. The phone is answered 24/7, including nine at night when a spring lets go and your truck is sealed inside. Tell us your address and what the door is doing, and we'll tell you honestly when we can be there. Call (830) 268-9233 and a live coordinator will connect you with the local team.

You do, at least for the first visit. We need to test the door with you there, show you what failed, and get your sign-off before any work starts. After that, if the job is straightforward we handle it on the spot. If parts need to be ordered for something unusual, we'll schedule a return visit at your convenience. Being there means you see exactly what you're paying for.

A standard torsion spring pair on a two-car door takes about 60 to 90 minutes from arrival to final balance test. That includes removing the old springs, installing the new cycle-rated pair, lubricating the rollers and hinges, and running the door through several cycles to confirm it lifts evenly and sits level. Most Selma homeowners are back to normal the same afternoon. We quote the time when we quote the price.

In most cases yes, especially for spring failures, cables off the drum, or a door jammed in the tracks. Same-day repair is our standard goal across Selma, Live Oak, Cibolo, Converse, and Universal City. Calls that come in early in the day are easiest to fit, but we hold emergency slots and the phone rings 24/7. Call (830) 268-9233 and tell us what happened; we'll tell you the soonest we can be there.

A tune-up covers the full mechanical inspection: spring tension and cycle count, cable condition, roller wear, hinge tightness, track alignment, opener force settings, safety reverse sensors, and lubrication of all moving parts. In Selma's heat, roller bearings dry out and nylon wheels crack faster than in cooler climates, so we pay close attention to those. We give you a written condition report with what's left on your springs and any recommended work, priced upfront. Nothing gets done without your approval.

Usually just the part. A broken spring, snapped cable, or worn roller doesn't mean the door panel itself is done. We replace the failed component, inspect everything else, and tell you honestly if the door has life left in it. We'll also tell you when patching doesn't make sense anymore. If a panel is dented and the door is 20 years old, a new door may be the better money. The recommendation is based on what we'd do on our own house.

We install Amarr and Wayne Dalton doors primarily, because they build steel doors that hold up to South Texas sun without fading or warping, and parts are never hard to get. For openers we work with Craftsman and Raynor units, among others. We're not tied to one manufacturer, so we can match your existing setup or recommend what fits your door's weight and your budget. We'll show you samples and explain the differences in plain English.

Yes. The spring, cable, roller, and opener mechanics are the same across brands; what changes is the parts sourcing and the programming. If the opener is straining, the problem is almost never the opener. It's usually the spring losing tension and putting the lift load on the motor. We diagnose the whole assembly, not just the brand name on the box. That saves you from replacing an opener that wasn't the problem.

In Selma's climate, yes. High-cycle springs are rated for 25,000 to 40,000 cycles instead of the standard 10,000, and they fail less often in the heat. I count spring cycles the way you count tire miles. A standard spring might last seven years on a heavily used door; a high-cycle pair will go well past a decade. The cost difference is modest compared to a second service call. We quote both options and let you decide.

We install our own cycle-rated springs and hardware for warranty and safety reasons. A spring that fails on your car or your kid is not a risk we'll take with parts of unknown origin. What you're buying is the right spring for your door's weight and a balance test after installation. The parts cost is part of the quoted price, and the warranty is in writing. Call (830) 268-9233 and we'll quote the whole job, parts and labor.

Yes. Every pro working under our name is required to hold the license and insurance their state requires, and Otto Reinhardt publishes his name, his address and his license number, and answers his own phone. That's the entire reason people call us instead of the first ad they find. We're happy to show our credentials at the door. Ask us when you call; a straight answer is a two-second thing.

The people who show up at your door work under the Otto's Garage Door name and answer to it. We don't sell your job to a third party whose name you'll never know. The truck carries his name and his license number, and the person who does the work is the person accountable for it. That's the oldest accountability mechanism there is. In a town like Selma, it's the only one that counts.

Otto's Garage Door has an address in this county, not a call center three states away. L.O.C.A.L. isn't a slogan for us; it's how the business runs. Local roots - an address in this county, not a call center three states away; On time - the window we give you is the window, and we call if it slips; Community first - we hire here, we buy here, we sponsor the team here; Accountable - the owner answers the phone and puts his name on the work; Loyal - we would rather keep you for twenty years than win one big ticket. Calls are answered by a live coordinator who connects you with the local team.

Yes, that's the top priority call on the board. A door is 200 pounds riding on two springs. Respect it. Do not try to force the door open with the opener; that can strip the gears and turn a spring job into an opener job too. Call (830) 268-9233 immediately, day or night. We'll quote the spring replacement on the phone, hold the number at the door, and get your car out and your door working. Same-day service is standard for spring failures in Selma.

Technically yes, but only by pulling the red emergency release and lowering the door by hand, and only if you have another person to help. The door weighs 150 to 200 pounds and your opener cannot lift it with a broken spring without destroying its own gear train. If it's halfway up, leave it. Call us instead. A spring under tension is dangerous to improvise around, and a trained professional should make the repair. We answer 24/7 at (830) 268-9233.

The phone is answered 24/7, every day of the week. When your spring snaps at nine at night and the truck is sealed inside, that's when it matters most. Tell the live coordinator what's happening and they'll connect you with the local team. Emergency spring and cable failures get priority scheduling. Call (830) 268-9233 and we'll tell you straight when we can be there.

First, check the safety sensors at the bottom of the tracks. In Selma's dusty heat, sensors get coated and misaligned often, which blocks the close cycle for good reason. If the sensors are clean and aligned and the door still reverses, call us. It could be a track issue, a cable problem, or an opener logic fault. We'll walk you through the basics on the phone at (830) 268-9233 and tell you if a service visit is needed.

Otto Reinhardt publishes his name, his address and his license number, and answers his own phone. Ninety days in writing on every garage doors job, and one call brings him back. That's the promise stamped on every page and every invoice. If something we touched fails inside those ninety days, you call and we come back. No fine print, no runaround. The warranty covers our parts and workmanship, which is the whole point of the name on the truck.

Springs carry the same ninety-day written warranty as everything else we install. Beyond that, we tell you what's left on yours at every tune-up, because spring life is measured in cycles, not years. We install springs sized to your door's actual weight and cycle rating, and we balance-test after installation. The ninety days is in writing, and one call brings us back. That's the promise.

It means there's a person attached to the name, and the name means something in this county. Otto answers his own phone, including at nine at night when a spring lets go and your truck is sealed inside. He quotes on that call and holds the number when he gets there, because he is going to see you again at the feed store. That's what L.O.C.A.L. means in practice. The van carries his name and his license number, and that's the entire reason people call us instead of the first ad they find.

Otto is a palindrome. It reads the same from either end, which is the joke, and the door does too. It opens both ways, same as the name. The brand has been serving homeowners since 2004, and this Selma branch carries the same promise: a local owner, a local truck, a name you can verify, and a face you'll see again at the hardware store. That's the kind of accountability that can't be outsourced.

Have a question that's not on this page? Call (830) 268-9233 and ask directly. We answer the phone, and we answer straight.

Written by Otto Reinhardt, Owner at Otto's Garage Door, serving Selma, TX since 2004.