Most people don’t think much about their garage doors – until something stops working. Maybe the torsion springs break, causing the door to slam against the ground as it closes. It could be that there’s an issue with the circuit board, meaning the garage door opener doesn’t work anymore. It could be frayed or broken cables. Perhaps the garage door rollers went off track. Whatever the case, you aren’t alone. Many people find themselves in the same boat at some point in their lives, and many of them even have the exact same issues with their garage doors. This is why companies like ASAP Garage Door Repair Experts of Michigan stays busy fixing garage doors in Farmington Hills and surrounding areas, making sure that residents have peace of mind – and functioning garage doors!
4 most common garage door repairs
Garage doors aren’t all that complicated, but there are still several things that can go wrong. Parts wear out, get damaged, or become misaligned over time. All garage doors are prone to certain problems, which is why we can identify four of the most common repairs.
Torsion spring
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A garage door’s spring is what helps it move up and down smoothly. A common misconception is that the garage door opener actually lifts the garage door. It does not. It just guides the door up and down but the springs are what do most of the work in lifting that heavy door. If you notice that your garage door drops to the ground instead of lowering itself gracefully, that indicates an issue with the spring. Fortunately, this issue is easy to identify. In most cases, the spring will either be completely broken, or noticeably stretched out even when the door is open (which normally allows the spring to retract). When the garage door spring breaks you will see it above your door often in 2 pieces instead of one.
This is a fairly simple repair for a trained technician but has serious safety hazards. The garage door technician should be able to quickly identify the problem, and may even have the correct gauge spring on hand. That being said, garage door springs come in all shapes and sizes. The heavier the garage door, the bigger the spring will have to be. Even if the repair technician doesn’t have the spring on hand, there should only be a slight delay in fixing the garage door. Never try to replace springs yourself and instead rely on a trained, experienced technician. There is an enormous amount of torsion that is wound into the spring that pulls the door up off the ground. Winding a garage door spring improperly can cause serious injury or even death. Imagine that spring unwinding on you in your face and you can understand the potential for injury.
Garage door opener
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You get in your car, crank up the engine, and hit the garage door opener as you prepare to drive off – and nothing happens. You assume that something’s wrong with the garage door opener rather than the door itself, and you’d probably be right. The issue is usually with the opener’s transmitter, circuit board, wiring or batteries in the garage door remote control.
If the transmitter is the issue, then the opener may need to be replaced. A garage door repair company can sell you a new one, plus take care of the necessary programming with the garage door circuit – this ensures that the opener is linked to the door. As for the batteries, you probably already know how to fix that problem yourself. In fact, this could be a simple way to troubleshoot the problem without having to call a repair technician. If new batteries don’t solve the problem, the best next step is to get some expert assistance.
Misalignment or track issues
The average garage door gets opened and closed around 1,500 times per year – that’s a lot of moving back and forth. This results in plenty of wear and tear on certain components like the tracks, as well as the chains or cables. Even something as simple as a lack of lubrication along the tracks could result in misalignment, making it difficult or impossible for the garage door to function.
If this happens, a garage door technician will be able to figure out what’s going on. It’s likely that one or more parts will have to be replaced, but they aren’t usually that expensive.
Blocked photo eye sensors
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Garage door sensors are designed to prevent the door from accidentally closing on top of a vehicle, person, or pet that might be standing beneath it. However, if one of the sensors becomes blocked or misaligned, it could register that something is in the way even when nothing’s there. This can result in the frustrating problem of a garage door that refuses to close.
In some cases, the fix could be as simple as cleaning off the sensors so that they can “see” clearly again. Or, it could be that one of the sensors has become misaligned, preventing it from functioning properly. If this has happened, the problem can be fixed simply by putting it back into place. In other cases, though, there’s an internal issue that will require the sensor to be replaced. Sometimes this repair can be done quickly and cheaply, while at other times you’ll need to call a repairman to get the job done.
Signs that your garage door needs to be repaired
The older a garage door gets, the more eccentric it may become. However, there’s a difference between a few squeaks and loud screeching. Here’s how to tell that it’s time to call a garage door repair company.
- The door is becoming cracked or warped, making it difficult to open and close.
- The chains or cables are broken
- The rails are bent
- You hear loud squeaking or screeching, or other unusual noises every time the door moves
- The torsion springs are stretched out or broken
While it’s true that you can do some troubleshooting by yourself, it isn’t recommended to attempt more than the most basic repairs on your own. Why? Because garage doors are hard to handle, and have several moving parts. Most repairs come with a high risk of injury if you aren’t properly trained; if you miscalculate something, you could be paying a hospital bill instead of an invoice for garage door repairs.
Should you replace your garage door even if it isn’t technically broken?
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Most people only think about calling a garage door repair company if something is preventing their door from functioning. But what if it’s simply time to replace an old garage door with a newer, more secure version? If your garage door lacks safety features like photo eye sensors, or it’s simply nearing the end of its lifespan, you may want to invest in a new one. This could cut down on the number of repairs you need each year, and improve the appearance of your house at the same time.
