A well-maintained garage door can help enhance the overall appearance of your home. Addressing surface damages and lubricating moving parts will keep them in good condition for longer, reducing repair costs.
If your garage door is making grinding or squealing sounds, it’s likely due to lack of lubrication. A professional at Garage Door Service Palm Valley AZ can remedy this quickly and easily.
Panel damage can result from a variety of issues, including weather, accidents, or simply wear and tear. While surface scratches and dents may look unsightly, they can also impact the structural integrity of the door and lead to the need for more extensive repairs in the future. Likewise, deeper dents and cracks can cause the door to tilt, forcing other components to work harder.
Damaged garage door panels are not only unsightly, but they can also reduce the energy efficiency of your home. This is because they allow heat and air to escape from the interior of the house. This can increase your heating and cooling bills. It is important to have damaged panels repaired as soon as possible to prevent further damage to the rest of your garage door.
The first step to repairing damaged panels is to assess the severity of the damage. A professional can use a simple repair kit to fix minor damage, such as surface scratches or small dents. However, more serious damage will require a full replacement of the panel. This should be completed by a professional as this requires a proper fit and match. It is also important to test the panel after repair to ensure it is safe for use. This can be done by conducting a pull-out test and a bend test. This will ensure that the panel is able to resist stress and is in good working condition.
Broken Rollers
Rollers and tracks are critical to a smooth, functional garage door. However, like other components, they can experience damage over time. When this occurs, your garage door can become misaligned or, in a worst-case scenario, fall off its tracks. Proactive maintenance can help to prevent these issues and save homeowners money.
If you notice that your garage door is making squeaking or grinding noises, it could indicate that the rollers are starting to wear out. A quick application of lubricant may fix this issue, but if the squeaking continues, it’s best to schedule a service appointment to replace the worn-out rollers.
When you inspect your rollers, look for any flat spots or visible cracks or chips. Broken rollers won’t roll smoothly over the track, which can cause jerky movements and put unnecessary strain on other components of the system.
Changing garage door rollers is easy and inexpensive. If you choose to perform the repairs yourself, be sure to cut off the power and unplug the opener before you start working. Also, be sure to wear safety goggles when handling springs and use a ladder or stool to safely access the bottom hinges. To change the rollers, loosen the tension on the torsion springs and release the steel winding bars gradually. You can then replace the rollers and rewind the torsion springs. Be sure to note how many quarter turns you made so that you can properly re-tighten the tension later.
Misaligned Tracks
Think of your garage door tracks as railroad lines – they need to be perfectly aligned for the system to operate properly. Track misalignment can cause a host of issues ranging from irritating quirks to dangerous safety hazards. The good news is that there are a few common causes of track misalignment that you can look out for to identify the problem early and get it fixed before it gets worse.
Physical Damage
Impact damage from hitting the tracks with vehicles or heavy items stored in your garage can cause the tracks to bend or shift out of alignment. In addition, regular use can eventually lead to the loosening of bolts and screws that hold the tracks in place.
Other physical problems that can affect track alignment include warping, which is often caused by excessive force during installation or exposure to extreme weather conditions. Visible gaps or a noticeable wobble in the tracks can also be signs of misalignment.
Whether you hear rubbing sounds when your garage door opens or closes, or notice visible gaps or wobbling in the track, these are all clear indications that it’s time to have your tracks realigned. Ignoring track misalignment can cause serious damage to your garage door, causing further wear and tear and creating potentially dangerous safety hazards. Professional technicians have the tools to carefully assess and repair any issues with your tracks.
Broken Springs
Whether they’re extension or torsion, garage door springs are under a lot of tension and can break easily if they’re not properly cared for. Typically, this happens while the door is in operation and when the spring breaks it releases a huge amount of tension that has to go somewhere. If the spring is attached to a pulley system, it’s likely to shoot straight upward and hit whatever’s in its way (like your car or storage rack). Spring that are simply old and worn out can also break, but this is less common. One clear sign that your springs are breaking is if they have visible separation or gaps in them. If you see these signs, call a professional right away.
Leaving broken springs unrepaired can lead to other problems that will require more costly repairs or even replacement of the entire garage door system. It also poses safety risks, as the door can become crooked or uneven when it’s being operated and can even slam shut unexpectedly putting people or things underneath at risk of harm.
When it comes to repairing or replacing your garage door springs, it’s best left to the pros who will have the proper tools and experience to ensure the job is done correctly. They’ll carefully inspect and install your new springs, then run a balance test and inspection to ensure the door operates smoothly and evenly.
Broken Cables
In some cases, a garage door’s cable can break. This can have a major impact on the ability of the garage door to open and close and may cause harm to anyone trying to use the door. This is why it’s important to have regular inspections of the cables and to replace them if they show signs of breaking.
If you suspect a broken cable, your garage door service technician can figure out the issue and get it fixed as soon as possible. They can also inspect the other components of your system to ensure they are functioning properly.
Some common signs of broken cables are kinking, visible fraying or signs of corrosion. These can all lead to the cable breaking. In addition, if the cable is exposed to excess stress it can start to wear out and become slack. This can cause the cable to rub against parts of the door mechanism that it shouldn’t be rubbing against and accelerate the process of wearing out and breaking.
Other issues with the cables include incorrect spring configuration and rusted pulleys. These can affect the way that the cable winds around the drum and how the door is able to be lowered. If the rust causes the cable to snap it can be very dangerous and should be fixed right away.
Broken Openers
If the opener lights don’t come on or the door won’t open or close, it may be time to call in professionals. A lack of response from the motor or remote control could mean that its batteries are dead, a broken wire, a mechanical problem within the motor itself, or a safety problem with the sensors.
The sensor lenses might be dirty or misaligned, which will cause the opener to think that the door is too light or too heavy and keep it closed. Using a cloth and mild detergent to clean the sensors and readjusting their settings should fix this. If the sensors don’t seem to be the problem, it could be that the travel limit settings – set at the motor above the door – aren’t correctly adjusted. Find the close-force adjustment screw on your opener unit and turn it clockwise to increase the force, or counterclockwise to decrease it. Test the door to see whether it is closing smoothly and safely.
Loud noises, like grinding or screeching, indicate a mechanical problem inside the opener itself. It’s important to find out what the problem is so that you can fix it before it becomes worse.
