26 August 2015
 Categories: , Blog

When you're leaving for work or returning at the end of the day, the last thing you want is for your garage door to malfunction. Of course, that's exactly when you'll notice an issue. Luckily, most garage door problems don't herald dangerous situations, so you can attend to the repair at your leisure or call in the professionals.

Opens and Closes Noisily

Typically when a door moves noisily, the problem is in the tracks. Specifically, the tracks are probably dirty. Oil, dirt and debris can build up in the tracks, making for noisy movement. With a brush and solvent in hand, set to work ensuring the tracks are clean. When you're done, go back and use a lubricant especially for garage doors to grease the wheels and springs.

If that doesn't fix the problem, The Family Handyman suggests checking out the rollers and hardware. Loose hardware or worn rollers can also cause noisy movement. Worn rollers wobble when they move. If you see wobble, unbolt the hinge holding it in place, and pull the roller out of its track. Replace it with a new roller. While you have your tools out, check all hinges on your door, tightening them as necessary.

Door Doesn't Open

If it's a very cold day, a door refusing to open might be a sign that it froze shut. In that case, use a hair dryer or de-icing products to unstick the door.

Any other day, the problem is either your spring or opener. Most garage doors feature a torsion spring to pull the door up. If this is broken or out of alignment, the door won't budge. These springs are set with massive tension, so it's best to call a professional from a business like Crawford Door Company for this repair.

A problem with the opener indicates the motor might have gone bad. If that's the case, either the opener itself or just the motor needs replacing. The process of engine replacement depends on the opener, so consult your owner's manual.

Broken Glass

It's pretty obvious if one or more of the panes of glass in your garage door has broken. Obviously the first step is to carefully remove all glass shards and sweep up the area. Next, use a putty knife to chip away the glazing compound holding the pane in place, heating it if necessary. Pry out the glass frame, and brush the channel clean. Create a thin rope of glazing compound, and press it into the channel. Place the new pane in the channel, and use more glazing compound to secure it.

Check the tracks, rollers and cables of your garage door at least once a year to prevent problems in the future.