Garage door repair is something all homeowners have to deal with at some point in time. Understanding the common problems you may face can make it easier to explain the issue to the technician when he or she arrives. It can also help you understand what the service technician is doing to fix the problem.

1. You Push the Button, but It Does not Close

Modern garage door openers have built-in sensors that feel the resistance on the hatch. If there is a broken spring or hinge, then mechanics will not try to pull the chain. In some instances, the opener is the problem. Only a qualified technician can diagnose the issue.

2. You Can Hear the Opener Running, but Nothing Happens

Openers wear out over time, and the gears are usually the first thing to go. If these gears are stripped, they cannot move the chain, which raises and lowers the hatch. In some cases, you can replace the gears. In others, you have no choice but to replace the entire system.

3. You Have a Kick Out Door and Want It Repaired

You may find some technicians who are willing to fix your one-piece door, better known as a kick out. However, as these are outdated systems, they are unsafe. While yours may seem to be in decent working condition, you should have it replaced with a newer, safer model.

4. The Hatch Opens Stiffly and Makes Noise

Noisy garage doors are a common problem. Your garage door repair technician will first replace the rollers in order to solve the problem. Most companies use plastic rollers that wear out. When having them replaced, you should ask for low-resistance rollers. This model works smoother and is lower maintenance than traditional options. They are worth the additional cost.

5. You Have an Old Opener and Want It Replaced

If your opener is not working properly, you may wonder if it has to be replaced. Your garage door repair technician will be able to look at your equipment and make a determination about whether they have the parts needed to fix the problem without replacing the entire unit. However, in the interest of safety, if your old system does not have a safety beam, you need to exchange it for a newer system.

6. The Rollers Are Out of the Track and It’s Pulling the Door

This is actually a very common garage door repair issue. There are several different reasons why this could happen. Your rollers could be so worn out that they work their way out of the track. Sometimes the track itself has been bent or is obstructed by something within the room. Other times, the large springs at the top are broken and cause the panels to pull off track.

One of the most overlooked causes is when you’ve accidentally hit a panel with your vehicle. The damage may look insignificant. However, if left unrepaired, over time it will pull the panel off track. Thankfully, the solution is relatively easy to fix, and it can be repaired.

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Maybe you have a simple or complex garage door repair. Whether your garage door makes a squeak or refuses to open, you can’t be sure whether you can fix the issues yourself or not. However, regular upkeep will keep each part of the door functioning properly. Plus, you won’t need to hire a professional every other day. But if your garage door has any of the following serious issues, you should call for help.


Door Panels and springs

Problematic panels is not an issue that you can fix yourself. You must have technical knowledge in order to make sure each panel matches your type, brand, material and color.

In other words, you will have to order the right panels and get them installed the right way. Professionals will also let you know what you can do to make your panels stand the test of time.

The springs of the door can get damaged or break down. As a result, they will need to be replaced as soon as possible. Each spring has different requirements as far as replacement goes. So, you will need to use special equipment for making this type of replacement. If you have no idea how to replace the springs, you will go to a professional.

Dysfunctional Bent Tracks or rollers

The role of a roller is to allow the door to move. With the passage of time, bent tracks or rollers will go through a lot of wear and tear and may need to be replaced. As with the door springs, proper training and other knowledge is required for replacing the damaged rollers.

Damaged Cables

Cables of the door go through a lot of stress and may be difficult to fix. Therefore, you may want to get this project done by a professional.

Regular maintenance can help you avoid major repair issues. Below are the things you can do in order to make sure your door will work properly.

· Since doors move very frequently, their nuts and bolts tend to become loose with the passage of time. So, you may want to keep an eye on the bolts, nuts and brackets to make sure they don’t become loose.

· The chain or screw of the opener should be lubricated on a yearly basis. You can use white lithium grease for this purpose for example, which will help the door opener keep working smoothly. Aside from this, lubricating will also make the screws stand the test of time.

· You should check the doors on a regular basis to make sure they are balanced. For this, you need to disconnect the opener and then check if the door maintains its position. In case it does, you won’t need to hold it. On the other hand, if the door goes back up, you should know that the springs are under a lot of tension. In this case, you will need to hire a garage door repair service.

So, these are a few signs that you need to call a garage door repair professional. If your garage doors have any of these problems, don’t try to fix them yourself or you will hurt yourself or cause damage to the doors.

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You might not think about them, but garage door parts are essential for the health and safety of your home. To maintain a working entrance, you should have these pieces checked out regularly. Faulty parts can make the door malfunction, working more slowly and/or loudly than it should.

Springs

Springs are one of the most essential garage door parts. Without them, the hatch will not open. Torsion springs provide the needed lift for the entryway. Eventually, these helical springs may break, making it hard to open or close. You may also have extension springs. These run vertically alongside the hatch. As with torsion springs, they provide the primary lifting force. Your system will have either torsion or extension springs, with torsion springs being the more common of the two.

Rollers and Tracks

Other essential garage door parts are the rollers and tracks. These pieces guide the entry hatch as it moves up and down. The rollers are the small wheels that run along the side of the panels, and they move on the metal rod tracks that extend from the floor to the ceiling. The tracks control the rollers as they move up, guiding the door into place.

Panels and hinges

When you think of garage door parts, often-overlooked pieces are the panels. That is because most people think of the system as one piece of vinyl or wood. In actuality, several long panels connected by hinges create each entry hatch. The total number of panels is dependent on the size of the opening; typically, you have around six to eight. These individual panels allow the system to roll up in an arch. The hinges allow the panels to move independently of each other.

Motor and Controllers

If you are like most people, you have an automatic opener. This equipment makes it easier to get in and out without having to get in and out of your vehicle. The motor is the brain of the operation. It calls to life all the moving parts. The motor is typically a quarter, half, or three-quarter’s horsepower, which is too small to move the heavy door on its own. The springs are still the muscle behind the operation.

If you have an automatic opener, then you have a remote. The system usually has a wall-mounted controller and individual controllers that you can keep in your car. The wall-mounted button wires directly into the motor head. The individual controllers use radio transmission to tell the motor when to initiate.

Safety Sensors

If something is in the way, safety sensors in the automatic opener keep the panels from closing. It is a necessity for those who have small children and animals so the heavy hatch does not accidentally injure them. When something breaks the beam, the whole mechanism reverses course and goes back up. In most cases, if the motor head includes a lamp, the light flashes to indicate something is wrong.

Many garage door parts keep your entryway working for you. Regular maintenance ensures that the system works properly.

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