Garage doors are essential for your home but can be challenging to maintain. Luckily, you can do something to make sure you keep your garage door in top condition. You should always check the door’s balance and alignment, as well as the springs and cables. Checking these few things will help ensure that your garage door is safe and secure.
Assess Where It Needs Repairs
Often, when we open and close our garage door, we find that it’s not easy or that it starts working again. If your problem is like this, you know that there isn’t a permanent issue with your garage door. Instead, it is likely either out of balance or has lost its alignment. You might need to replace the garage door torsion springs or something more significant. Either way, you need first to assess where the problem might be and then determine how to fix it. Also, it would help if you considered when the door was installed. If it’s older, you will need to replace many parts because parts wear out over time.
Balance And Alignment
If your garage door is difficult to move on its own, or if one side moves more than the other, this is likely a sign that there’s something wrong with its balance and alignment. This is usually due to issues with the springs and cables. For this, start by checking the springs and cables. They should both be in good condition, not frayed or worn out. If they are, you will need to replace them. Additionally, if a rubber bumper protects the door from scratches on one side of it and not the other, then your garage door probably has an alignment problem. If this is the case, you will need to realign your garage door.
Other Problems To Solve
If you don’t find any problems with your garage door’s balance and alignment, but it’s still challenging to open or close, then there may be an issue with how it is mounted. If either the lower or upper track has become bent out of shape, then its stability might be an issue. This means that the rubber bumpers are not resting on anything when they open and close, which can cause them to get stuck or break altogether. You will need to fix this by either leveling the tracks or replacing them entirely if one side won’t stay in place while adjusting it.
Broken Panels
If your garage door has broken panels or sections, you will need to replace them. This is often the case when the hinges and locks of your garage door get loose and break through the panel. Before buying a replacement panel for your garage door, ensure that the custom-made size will fit correctly. You can do this by simply measuring each section of your current garage door and making an accurate drawing on paper. If you don’t feel like doing all of this math, you should contact a professional who can measure it or help with any problems.
Broken Hinges
If your garage door hinges are damaged or broken, then you’ll need to replace them. Now, you might be wondering if this should wait until other things on the door are fixed first. But, according to most professionals, it doesn’t matter that much because there isn’t enough tension in the torsion springs that they will loosen if one of them is missing or broken. So if your garage door hinge is too damaged for repair, like if its weld has broken away from the frame ultimately, then you will need to replace it right away.
Garage Door Springs And Cables
When assessing where you think your problem might be with your garage door, don’t forget about the springs and cables which support it entirely. They often wear out after a long time, which is why it’s essential to check their tension at least twice a year. You will need to loosen up all the screws around your garage door so that you can remove the springs and cables, but there are many different types of doors, so be sure to read about how your specific model works before removing anything. Once you’ve done this, though, you’ll be able to figure out where precisely the problem with your garage door is coming from just by doing one or more of these easy repairs.
Maybe Just A Paint Job?
If there is any peeling or rusting, you might think about just painting your garage door. But this isn’t a good idea and shouldn’t be used as a long-term solution because the paint will wear out and peel after time. It’s recommended that you use a clear coat of paint to protect the garage door from rust and corrosion, though if you want to keep it looking new for many years to come. If it’s not entirely rusted over, you should be able to sand it down with an electric sander powered by electricity or batteries. Keep in mind that using this tool can create dust, so be sure to wear protective goggles when working on these areas.
Helpful Tips For Long Term Use
There are many ways you can keep your garage door in good condition for as long as possible if you use some helpful tips during regular use and inspections and upkeep. Here are a few things to keep in mind. First, don’t let your garage door fall on its own, especially if your torsion springs are broken or missing. Also, if you have a steel garage door painted, it may be best not to use water or cleaning products on it because they may cause rusting, which could lead to holes over time. Finally, during inspections, be sure to check the screws around your garage door frame for tightness as well as the hinges and locks at least twice a year, so you always feel safe about entering or leaving it.
By finding these few things wrong with your garage doors, you can try repairing them yourself without having to call a professional every single time something goes wrong with it, even though hiring experts is always an option if you are afraid of repair work. These repairs can be quick, or they can be challenging depending on the type of garage door you have, but even if all you are doing is tightening the screws around the door frame, it’s better than nothing, which is why these tips should help get rid of any problems that come with regular use.