September 29, 2017

Garage door SOS: can it be repaired?

House with garage doors

Worried about the state of your garage door? Making strange noises? Not closing or opening properly? Worried about your family’s safety?

Well, you’ve come to the right place! We understand that when it comes to garage doors, safety comes first. So, if you’re worried about the state of your door, you should investigate further and then contact a garage door expert.

The good news is most of the time it can be repaired, rather than replaced. But you should act as soon as possible, because even the most minor issues can quickly become big problems.

When can you repair it?

  • Issues with your electric door opener

    For example, the door closes a couple of inches but then opens again. The most likely cause is a misalignment of the photo eye units on the safety reversing system. This is easy to verify, and you should be able to see if one of the units has been moved. If not, the wire joining the two units might have been severed. If it’s the latter, call a garage door technician right away!

  • The door jerks or vibrates when opening

    This sounds like your door opener is having trouble lifting the door, which means one of the lifting cables is likely broken or very damaged. To verify, look at the vertical tracks on either side of the garage door. If that’s not the case, a roller might be broken or have come off its track. Either way, call a professional as soon as possible.

  • The door is making a loud, yet short, noise when opening

    Most garage doors come on steel tracks, or commercial grade tracks for larger doors. If you’re hearing a loud noise when the doors opening, it’s likely that one of these tracks is damaged, perhaps bent or twisted from a collision. You need to hire a garage door technician to rectify the situation.

  • The door is slow to open and close

    Like number 2, this is likely a sign that the door system is having trouble lifting the door, but this time it’s probably linked to the spring system. If the door opener is working harder than normal one of the springs is probably broken or has lost tension. To check, pull the emergency release cord and try and open the door manually. Remember that garage doors are calibrated to have a perceived weight of no more than 10 lbs., you should be able to lift it easily one-handed. If you can’t, you’ve got a problem and need the broken system replacing.

When do you need to replace it?

If you take good care of your garage door it can last for generations, as long as you regularly maintain it, including lubricating all moving parts at least twice a year, you shouldn’t have any problems. But there are some issues that can arise that unfortunately cannot be repaired. For instance:

  • Rust

    If you live in a cold climate, your garage door is literally put through the wringer, and unless you have a heated, well-insulated garage and heavy-duty hardware, rust is likely to develop over time. If this is the case and you have rusty garage door components, you’ll need to replace it.

  • Damaged door sections

    If one of the garage door sections is badly damaged, you may need to replace the entire door. It all depends on how damaged the section is, but a severely damaged door section can lead to other issues, including rust.

  • To sell your home faster

    If you’re thinking about putting your house on the market, but you’re worried that your battered, old garage door might make it a tough sell, you might want to think about investing in a new garage door. Any real estate agent will tell you that a new garage door guarantees a great return on investment, and what’s more, your house is more likely to sell quickly.

Keep in mind…

Garage doors are dangerous, moving objects, so for your safety and the safety of your family, please hire a professional! If you’re still unsure whether you need to repair or replace your garage door, give us a call at 515-276-3700 or request a detailed quotation. If you’d prefer to speak to someone in person, we’re happy to make a house call.

If you’re thinking about replacing your garage door for any reason but are lacking inspiration, browse through our image gallery. You can even “try on” a garage door by using our design center tool.

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