If you have found problems with your garage door, it could be harmful to keep using it until it is repaired. A garage door might stop functioning smoothly due to age, physical elements, or severe weather problems. If you notice it being stuck or showing resistance, you should consider finding the issue before trying to use it again.
Garage doors pose a huge risk to property and people’s safety when broken. You should call for professionals to do garage door repairs because of potential risks during repairs. Here are six usual causes that damage a garage door.
Broken Spring
Frequent use of your garage door can tear out the springs gradually. Garage door springs allow you to keep your door light for it to go up and down easily, so they keep up a lot more pressure. Old springs are usually more prone to damage.
If there is a loud bang and the door does not open, the spring may have broken and fallen off. If you were not nearby at the time, you can inspect if the spring has broken by checking to see if it is on the ground or by checking the door if no spring is there.
Cable Breaks
Cable wires also bear an important role in raising and lowering garage doors. Over time, they can become brittle and lead to breakage. If the garage door cable wire breaks, the door may still open and close, but it becomes very heavy. If you suspect a problem, inspect the cables for frays and damage.
Bent or Misaligned Rails
Garage doors close and open by sliding on metal tracks. Using the garage door frequently may lead it to drift out of alignment from the tracks. This could lead to gates malfunctioning or rails bending if the problem is not fixed. If you notice an observable gap between the track and rollers, or if the track is damaged or bent, this could be the problem you have to address.
Roller Wearing
Rollers ease the garage door to smoothly move up and down the tracks. Eventually, the rollers can wear down and the garage door will become bumpy and rough. If your garage door is moving with difficulty, check the condition of your rollers and replace them.
Hardware Wears
Garage door components like hinges and latches can run down and corrode over time. In most cases, hardware problems are easily fixed with lubrication and tightening of the hardware parts. However, if it is in poor condition, it has to be replaced.
Electrical Issues
Electrical problems are very common with electric garage doors. Garage doors that do not open or close are often the result of a dead battery-powered remote. Check the batteries in your transmitter and garage-mounted units to make sure they are all in good working order.
If the photo-eye sensor is misaligned or blocked by an obstacle, the garage door will not close. This is very dangerous and should be repaired immediately. Blown-up fuses, frayed or damaged wires, and other electrical problems such as water damage can also cause electrical garage doors to stop working.
Please don’t hesitate to call us at 508-473-0030 to submit a service request or fill out the form here to learn more about our products, accessories, and services for garage doors. Our helpful customer service representatives will get back to you as soon as they can.