Your garage door should give you many years of daily service, but eventually, the springs, track or opener will wear out. It’s best to call for garage door repairs when you first notice signs of trouble so you can avoid an inconvenient breakdown of the door. Here are some signs that indicate your door could use some repairs.
THE GARAGE DOOR SLIPS
Ideally, you’ll check and clean your garage door every few months to keep it in good shape. One thing you can do is unhook the door so you can operate it manually. This lets you feel how easily the door glides along the track. Opening and closing the door manually also lets you check the tension in the springs.
Lower the door halfway and then let go of it. The door shouldn’t move, but if it slips lower under its own weight, you should call for repairs. The springs or cables may need to be fixed or replaced.
THE DOOR JUMPS OFF THE TRACK
When your garage door rollers jump out of the track, it’s usually a sign of worn parts or a damaged track. Pushing the rollers back into place is rarely a permanent fix. The door will just pop back out again soon. The rollers may need to be replaced or the track repaired to hold the door in place.
You don’t want to keep using a garage door that isn’t functioning like it should because a malfunctioning door is dangerous. Instead, have professional repairs done to get the door back to normal.
THE DOOR IS NOISY
If your garage door is making more noise than it used to, there might be parts failing. You may not be able to tell where the noise is coming from or you may notice the door shudder and make the noise. Cleaning and lubricating the door may be all that’s needed to stop the racket.
On the other hand, it could be something more serious, such as worn springs. It’s best to have unusual noises investigated so repairs or maintenance can be done early before the worn parts cause your door to pop off the tracks or do some other damage.
YOUR DOOR WON’T OPERATE
Several things cause a garage door to stop working. It could be problems in the wiring or the garage door opener. The garage door spring may be broken or there might be an obstruction in the track. Although it’s an inconvenient problem and an emergency to you, a non-functioning garage door might not be all that difficult to fix.
It depends on what is causing the problem. You’ll need a professional to pinpoint the cause and then make repairs. This is especially critical if the problem is in the spring since it is dangerous to work on a garage door spring.
THE GARAGE IS TOO HOT OR TOO COLD
If your garage door isn’t controlling the climate in your garage as well as it once did, you may want to have it serviced to increase its insulating ability. If you can see gaps around the door, then it’s a good idea to have weatherstripping installed.
If you don’t know how to do regular maintenance on your garage door or if you just don’t have time, then consider having your door serviced at least once a year to clean and lubricate the tracks and apply new weatherstripping.
Doing this every fall before winter sets in helps ensure your door will keep out cold air and keep working properly through the winter months when you may rely on your garage more.
When your garage door acts up or if you just suspect there might be trouble looming, call Garage Door Pros for quick and professional garage door repairs.