Your garage door works hard, opening and closing every day. This means from time to time, it will run into issues. Not only is this completely normal, it’s often an easy fix too! Here are some common garage door problems along with a few hacks and fixes to go with them.
1. Your garage door is making squeaking, grinding, or popping noises
While some level of noise is to be expected, excessive sounds may spell an underlying issue. Your garage door has lots of moving parts behind the scenes, and if one or more of them are rusty, damaged, or improperly aligning, it could be the root of the problem. If what you’re dealing with is minor squeaking, try lubricating the garage door. By regularly adding a synthetic lubricant to the steel roller shaft, the hinges, lift cables, bearings, and the full length of your springs, you may be able to get rid of the noise altogether.
Another common fix for minor squeaking is to replace the rollers. With regular lubrication, this should happen less often, but eventually, they do wear out and need to be replaced. A trained garage door installer can quickly and easily help with this.
If the sound is less of a squeak or grind and more of a pop, your torsion springs may be the culprit. Whether they need to be lubricated or adjusted, this is a job best left to the professionals. Working with torsion springs is extremely dangerous and not recommended for DIY fixer-uppers.
2. It won’t open or close
If your garage door won’t open or close at all, the first place to look is the garage door opener. While it’s tempting to lay the blame on the door, it’s often a question of replacing your garage door opener’s batteries. If it’s not that, it could be the electric garage door unit itself. It may be out of whack and in need of replacement. Otherwise, always double-check that the power in the home is working properly – as the cause could simply be an outage.
3. It gets stuck somewhere in the middle
A problem we encounter often (with all types of doors, but especially commercial overhead doors) is them refusing to close all the way or closing smoothly, but then reversing its way back up. There are several reasons this may be happening. A common one is a sensor detecting an obstruction. Just like elevator doors, garage doors are super heavy (an average of 150 lbs) and are designed with safety in mind. In order to prevent accidents, they’re usually equipped with a mechanism that comes to a halt when something’s in the way. Whether your car is parked too close or something is poking out beneath the door, try scanning the surrounding area first and clearing all obstructions before trying to hit “close” again.
Alternatively, the sensors could be misaligned. Designed to point directly down, if they’re out of place, they may be detecting obstructions where there are none. Sensors can easily become misaligned if they are accidentally tapped by someone coming through the door. If there is any misalignment, tighten the wing nuts holding them in place and turn the sensors slowly with your hand until they are accurately aligned. While doing this, clean the sensors using a cloth to remove any dirt or debris that may be blocking the infrared beams.
If it’s not that, the issue could be misaligned tracks. If this happens, it can cause a lot of tension or friction, which can in turn force the guide tracks to reverse. A trained professional will have an eye for this, detecting track misalignment and fixing it so your garage door can easily open and close without getting stuck.
4. It’s slamming shut/closing way too quickly
If your garage door is closing way too fast, the problem is often with the springs. Once the spring system becomes worn out, it doesn’t function properly and needs to be replaced. While this is often the case, it could be something else. Especially if this has been happening for some time, it’s always best to call your garage door company in Toronto to assess the situation.
5. You’re noticing a draft
Non-metal garage doors are often susceptible to air leaks and drafts, especially if you don’t have an insulated garage door installed. This could be a matter of replacing the weather stripping or a good reason to contact your technicians for a replacement. Drafts are not only a nuisance, they’re also like throwing money out the window. And while garage door cost may seem steep, it’s nothing compared to the money you’re losing on a drafty door.
Experiencing the above issues? Contact the best garage door manufacturer and installer in Richmond Hill!
