Philadelphia, PA
- Most homeowners equip their garage with a door. A garage door heightens home security and protects your car and belongings from varying weather conditions.
What are Common Garage Door Issues
But did you know that homeowners invest in a garage door to add home property value? A stylish garage door that matches well with your house’s exterior, especially the front door, can enhance property appeal.
As your garage door opens and closes at least twice each day, you can expect its garage door parts to deteriorate over time. And the frustrating part, it can fail at unexpected moments.
So as the garage door owner, you should at least know some common garage door issues and how to detect them. Enumerated below are some of the common garage door problems to guide you.
Garage Door Panel Receives Dents From Impact
Garage doors, especially those made from aluminum or steel, are prone to dents that may appear due to a collision or impact. The size of the dent can affect the mechanism of your garage door, especially if it is near the tracks.
Sometimes, painting the garage door panels can hide the dent problem. But if the dent is significantly visible, you should ask for a garage door repair.
Garage Door Springs Are Failing
Garage door springs are an essential part of the garage door system. The torsion spring or a pair of extension springs provides the necessary counterbalance to lift or lower the garage door safely.
A broken garage door spring will transfer its load to cables and other parts – which can cause damage to the system. So, if the springs are failing, it is best to replace them before it is already too late. For this, it is preferable that you call a professional to perform garage door spring repair.
Here are some signs to look for a broken garage door spring:
- The garage door slightly opens then shuts immediately.
- You can hear squeaky noises or notice excessive vibrations while the door moves.
- There are dangling cables near the spring.
- The garage door moves crookedly.
- After disconnecting the garage door and opener, the door is too heavy to lift manually.
A broken garage door spring requires a garage door technician.
Garage Door Moves Slower Than Usual
Today, most garage doors function with an automatic opener that allows you to control a garage door through a handheld transmitter or wall-mounted switches.
The garage door opener has a motor and chain, belt, or screw drive system that initiates the garage door’s movement.
On average, an automatic garage door moves about seven inches per second – that’s about 12 to 15 seconds. So if your garage door is moving slower than usual, there might be some problems with the automatic opener or other garage door parts.
For your guidance, here are some of the possible reasons why your garage door moves slower:
- The rollers, springs, tracks, hinges, and bearing plates lack lubrication.
- You have set the opener’s speed control setting improperly.
- The torsion or extension springs, cables, and rollers are wearing out.
For the solution, you should lubricate the moving garage door parts and hinges at least every six months. Moreover, you can follow your manual to fix the opener’s speed control setting.
Lastly, you can ask for a broken garage door spring or roller replacement or garage door cable repair if your springs, cables, and rollers are starting to fail.
Garage Door Cable Came Off the Track
A garage door has cables that help the springs, rollers, and the drive to lift or lower the garage door. Moreover, the cables are a safety mechanism against the spring recoil of a broken garage door spring.
The garage door cables can come off the track due to wear and tear or excessive rubbing against garage door parts. Since cables support intense weight, leave the garage door cable repair to a professional.
A garage door technician can conduct a garage door cable repair to ensure your safety. Also, he can assess if you need a cable replacement than a garage door cable repair.
Conclusion
Since a garage door opens or closes a few times each day, it is essential to know some garage door issues that you may encounter. As the garage door owner, you should ensure that your garage door works well.
So, you need to be wary of a broken garage door spring, off-the-track cable, slow garage door, and dented garage door panel. It is best to call for a garage door repair whenever you experience one of these problems. You can always go to an online business directory and search for a company near you.
Always remember that you can enhance your home’s curb appeal with a stylish and well-functioning garage door.
