Garage doors are actually fairly complicated pieces of machinery, with a lot of moving parts. Though with care and regular maintenance they can last many years without issue, there are some common failure points that should be inspected somewhat regularly, especially when strange noises and other outside-the-norm behavior starts cropping up. Let’s take a look at some of the common culprits for garage door issues:
Springs Can Break – and They’re Dangerous
Springs are under basically constant tension throughout the life of your garage door, so it’s no wonder they tend to be one of the first parts that need to be replaced. Worn-out springs tend to cause your garage door to open and close strangely, or, in the case of complete failures, cause it to close on its own.
Visual inspection is really all they need, make sure they don’t look stretched out or bent, but also make note of any “off” sounds occurring when opening and closing. All these can be signs of it nearing the time for a replacement.
Sensors – Clean or Replace
Call the “photo eye unit”, these sensors are what stop modern garage doors from closing on any obstructions, including people. Good practice is to clean them fairly regularly and make sure nothing is blocking their path. However, if your garage door is closing partially and then opening back up, or you have caught it trying to close down on something in its path, you should consider a replacement to avoid any potential accidents.
Lube Garage Door Rollers for a Smooth Ride
Rollers are probably the most common cause of a “noisy” garage door. They can be maintained with regular cleaning and a bit of silicone lubricant. Don’t use WD-40, as it may help in the short term, but it is a degreaser and your rollers need a bit to operate properly. Broken rollers are usually fairly obvious to diagnose, causing noisy and shaky openings and closings.
Tracks
Tracks likely do not break on their own, but the problem is if one of the aforementioned issues has occurred then the garage door may not be aligned exactly properly, which then can cause damage to the tracks themselves.
If your garage door is getting stuck or seems to not be closing quite properly, especially after a previous issue, your tracks may need to be taken a look at. Regular inspections help here as well and note any bends or cracks in their structure.
Call A Pro When You’re in Doubt
Often it can be difficult to diagnose all the parts at work in garage doors on your own. If you’ve checked all these parts out and are still facing issues, it’s probably best to call a professional repair service that has the experience, tools, and parts needed to get things back in working order.
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