Your garage door often provides convenient entrance to your home, and as such is used four times or more per day, which implies that you trust it to function optimally. That is until it doesn’t!
If you want to trust your garage door to remain free from any of the following issues, which can unfortunately cause a host of problems – from insect infiltration to security concerns, regular preventive maintenance including monthly visual inspections should be conducted.
Today, we’re sharing the 5 most common garage door issues, and explaining the importance of having each issue repaired in a timely manner in order to ensure your personal safety and security.
Problem #1: Broken Garage Door Springs
When your springs snap, break or begin to sag, your garage door will not be operational. The number one reason for spring failure is simple wear and tear. Garage door springs, like most any household item, have a limited lifespan. Most springs are rated for 10,000 cycles. The number of years these cycles will last you, depend on the weight of your door, and how many times the door is opened and closed. Once the springs have reached their lifespan, one or both may break, thus causing the door to stop operating.
While springs typically break while the door is in the down position, as this is where most of the tension is, they may also break while the door is in motion or in its raised position. Ensuring the professional replacement of springs is vitally important! Replacing a broken garage door spring can be a very dangerous undertaking. This is why we caution homeowners NOT to attempt DIY replacement.
Problem #2. Broken Garage Door Cables
In a non-damaged state, cables provide smooth, efficient operation for your garage door. Most cables are attached from the drum located near the top of the door to the bottom section of the door. These cables hold the door’s weight as the garage door moves upward and downward. The most common reason for their breakage is normal wear and tear.
Like springs, once the cables break, the door will not be operational. When faced with a broken garage door cable you should refrain from operating the door until the cables have been replaced by a professional. You should also refrain from attempting to force the door open as this can create further damage and pose significant risk to your personal safety.
Problem #3. Bent Garage Door Tracks
Your door’s tracks play an essential role in helping it to open and close smoothly. If one of the tracks gets out of alignment or becomes bent, the problem needs to be addressed before any further damage occurs, which can also lead to their need for replacement. Bent or misaligned tracks are often the result of a severe door malfunction, worn parts or human error (i.e. a car backing up into the door).
If your tracks are simply bent, you can attempt to knock them gently back into shape, using a soft mallet. Of course, if you’re not comfortable doing this, then by all means contact a professional. Just be careful not to use your door until the tracks have been repaired as your door will be unbalanced.
Problem #4. Misaligned Safety Sensors
All garage door openers manufactured on or after January 1, 1993 should be equipped with photo safety sensors. Safety sensors can be found on both sides of the garage door opening about six inches off the floor. They are designed to automatically stop and reverse the door should a person or object interrupt its beam. If the safety sensors aren’t working, neither will the remote control or touchpad.
To ensure optimal functioning of your sensors, you will want to check to ensure that the LEDs on each unit are lit up. A problem exists if the light is off or its flashing repeatedly. Gently clean the lens with a soft dry cloth, check the wires attached to the sensor for loose connections, and try realigning them by hand. If they still don’t work, there may be a bigger issue at hand, and you should contact a local service provider.
