So our first home, built in 1950, has a very old, very heavy steel garage door, with one spring's cable snapped. The style of the spring system is antiquated, as it runs a metal cable over a system of pulleys on each side of the door. We're not using the door as it's a safety issue, with all the door's weight on one cable. I had a few questions:
-We were going to hire out a contractor to do a torsion spring conversion ($300) as working with springs under tension seems pretty dangerous for someone without proper knowledge. What do you think?
-I want to install a garage door opener myself once the springs are installed. There's a large wooden beam that I believe I can frame something onto, and then attach the garage door opener to that. Is this a DIY project one can fake their way through? The door has never had an opener attached, so the connection between the chain and the door is the one part that has me worried...maybe it's just as easy as attaching some metal screws though. However, from a Mustachian perspective, should I just get out of the car and open the door by hand?
-If an opener is the way to go, how much HP? I believe the springs do most of the work when lifting, but as the door is heavy, I don't know if the cheaper 1/2 horsepower will suffice.