When your garage door won’t open it can be frustrating and confusing. In many cases it is best to call a professional for a garage door repair, but in some cases, there are easy fixes you can do yourself. Automatic garage doors are one of the many modern conveniences we have as a standard expectation for our home life in today’s world. Since the invention of the garage door opener, we have gotten very used to the convenience of pressing a button from our car without having to get out to open the garage door. If your garage door is having issues, it could be one of these common garage door repair needs.
Broken Spring Repair
One of the most common garage door repairs is a broken spring on the opening mechanism. Most garage door springs are rated to last 10,000-15,000 cycles, but once they break, your garage door will become immediately inoperable. Broken springs can be a rather dangerous repair. The spring is intended to keep tension on the garage door and keep it either lifted or shut. Since garage doors are heavy, any mistakes when dealing with a spring replacement can lead to injuries if you aren’t careful. This one can be done yourself, but only if you have experience. Otherwise calling a professional will make it a much quicker (and safer) fix.
Garage Door Cables
Separate from your garage door spring, your system also relies on a cable to lift the garage door while under tension from the spring. A sign of issues with the garage door cable is when your garage door won’t fully open or is hanging sideways in the tracks. This could signal that your garage door cable needs to be replaced. These repairs can also be dangerous, so it is best to contact a professional to make sure the correct replacement cable is used and that the weight of the garage door does not pose any risks during the repair.
Garage Door Panel Replacement
It is not uncommon to bend or dent a garage door panel to the extent that it will not open or close on the tracks of the garage door. This could happen from bumping into the garage with a vehicle, sports in the driveway with the kids, or even storm damage. These repairs can be harder to handle on your own, but new garage door panels can be ordered and replaced instead of replacing the garage door altogether. Not all replacement parts can be ordered by consumers, but a licensed dealer can secure the correct parts and hardware needed for the repair. In some cases, the panel can be bent back as a temporary solution so the garage door can still open and close if the dent or damage is significant enough that it will not close or open on the garage door tracks.
Bent or Broken Track Repair
Sometimes your garage door tracks can experience wear and tear that leads to the garage door not being able to open or close properly. Before you jump to replacing the tracks, in many cases the tracks can be repaired or adjusted to solve the problem. Inspect the tracks on both sides to identify if there is any damage or bends in the track. In some cases, a new track will be needed, and it is important to be sure to order the correct track for the make and model of your opener.
Safety Sensor Alignment
One of the most common reasons a garage door will not close is due to the misalignment of the safety sensors. All garage doors today come with a sensor system to be sure the garage door does not close on any person or items as it is closing and will stop and return to it’s original position if an obstruction is detected. These sensors can get bumped easily by equipment or sporting equipment stored on your garage and lead to the laser sensors not detecting each other. When there is a break in the contact of the lasers it is the same as the system identifying an obstruction.
If your garage door is not closing properly, start by checking the alignment of your sensors and make sure that the mounts are not bent in a way that creates a false obstruction detection.
Keypad Doesn’t Work
Most garage doors come with an exterior keypad opener to access the garage without a remote. If this fails to work, it could be from water damage, an electrical short in the wiring, or an issue with the garage door opener’s signal receiver. It can be hard to diagnose, but a replacement keypad can often be installed to replace the issue even if you can’t identify why exactly it won’t work.
Remote Control Doesn’t Work
You may run into an issue where your remote will no longer work. This can be frustrating, so the first step is to check that the battery is not dead and replace the battery. If this doesn’t work, check the adjustment settings for the signal responder for both your opener and the garage door controls to make sure they still match and there wasn’t a change in the signal settings. If this doesn’t work, it could also be an electrical short in the wiring of the remote itself, which means it may be time to replace the remote.
Garage Door is Noisy
Sometimes people notice that suddenly their garage door is noisier or shakes as it is opening and closing. The garage door will continue to function for the time being but if you don’t inspect and identify the problem, your system could run into larger problems later if it is ignored. There are many reasons this can happen like a bent track, bent panel, worn out spring or cable, or issues with the motor for the opener itself.
Get Professional Garage Door Repair Today
Sometimes you can inspect and find the problem and fix the issue on your own, but it may be best to get a professional opinion for extending the life of your garage door. If you are in need of a garage door repair, contact GP Garage Doors today for a free estimate!