Garage Door Maintenance
Garage doors have a variety of moving parts that can result in the improper operation of the mechanism or the structural failure of the door as a whole. The door opening mechanism, tracks, lock and even the door itself have to be taken care of, just like the rest of your home. Keep an eye out for the following issues in order to make sure that a small problem doesn’t end up causing a catastrophe.
Closing Too Fast
Garage doors utilize a series of gears, springs and other mechanisms that prevent the door from closing too quickly or slamming shut with a great amount of force. Injuries and even deaths have been reported due to garage doors closing too strong and fast.
If you notice that the doors seems to shut a bit too rapidly, especially if they slam shut with a noise, it’s time to check the system for misalignment or broken parts. Loose or broken cables or springs are the likely culprit, which is a problem that is likely to get worse as the condition of these parts deteriorate with repeated use.
Any time you notice the door closing too quickly, it’s vital to discover the reason for the problem. Quick‑closing doors can be a serious safety issue, requiring a professional to handle the situation.
Failure to Open or Close
If your garage door suddenly refuses to open or close, there’s a good chance that you’ve been ignoring warning signs for a while. Basic maintenance of the system ensures that the most common causes of the problem are eliminated.
One of the most obvious parts to check are the batteries of the door opener. IF the batteries appear corroded or seriously aged, replace them before the problem renders your door useless.
If your garage door features sensors that prevent the door from closing on a person or a vehicle, check the alignment of the sensors to make sure that they’re communicating with each other. If the alignment is off, the door will likely not close. If a piece of debris, mud, salt or snow obscures the sensor, remove the debris and gently clean the surface with a soft cloth and a bit of warm water.
Another issue when it comes to opening and closing garage doors are the track upon which the door travels. If there’s a serious blockage on the tracks themselves, the door may not be able to open or close. Even worse, the blockage may create stress on the other parts of the system, resulting in a costly breakdown that could’ve been prevented by a quick sweep of the tracks.
Cables and springs should also be monitored to check whether or not they have an equal amount of slack. If one side has more tension than the other, the door may not be able to open because of the lopsided operation of cables and springs.
Noisy Operation
Sometimes, the first indication of a problem with your car door isn’t visual. If you hear a loud or strange noise emanating from your garage every time the door lifts or close, there’s a good chance that you need to clean and lubricate the track and other moving parts of the system.
Selecting an appropriate lubricant, such as a "3‑in‑1" garage door lubricant or lithium grease, provides smooth garage door action without attracting dirt and dust that may accumulate on moving parts.
After cleaning and applying lubrication, open and close the doors a few times to see if noise has disappeared. If the door is still noisy, it’s probably a good idea to contact a professional to check out the installation as a whole.
Bent and Dented Doors and Frames
The improper installation or use of the garage door can lead to bent door panels or bent frames that prevent the garage from functioning smoothly, even leading to other problems spurred by the broken hardware. Bent frames and panels must usually be replaced, as bending them back into shape is usually impossible or, at best, not recommended.
If you have dents on your garage door, there are a variety of ways to fix them through DIY solutions. Straightening out these dents may prevent the door from bending further out of shape.
Staying vigilant and keeping your eyes open helps to catch issues that may lead to serious problems with the functioning of your garage door. In some cases, the damage is severe enough to be a health hazard, which is something that should be taken care of immediately. Don’t hesitate to check out Portes Ram Doors. when you notice that the problems with your garage door become a bit too much to handle.
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