Everything You Need To Know About Garage Door Repair

Your garage door has a fairly long life depending on the maintenance and use. But after several years, you could see some straining, door openers not working properly and possible breakage. It happens to almost every garage door after a while no matter the maintenance. We’ll look at common places around your garage that are susceptible to breaking, signs there is an actual break and what to do as a result.

What Could Go Wrong With Your Garage Door: Springs & Rollers

The springs on your sectional door help the machine open and close by making the door lighter. They are the metal cylindrical pieces of your garage door that either run parallel to the garage door or the sides of your garage.

There could be a few things wrong with your springs or rollers depending on the signs of wear and tear. Identifying them long before they break can save you from a lot of danger.

Two Types of Springs

As you or your door repair specialist take a look at the health of your garage door, they’ll be looking for one of two types of springs: torsion and extension springs.

Torsion springs are the ones that run horizontally above your garage door. They typically have cables that loop around a shaft along one end, secured at a fixture on the bottom of your garage door and are crimped at the other, connected at the drum. The springs wrap more tightly as the door opens and loosen as the door closes.

Extension springs require a bit more hardware to function. As the spring stretches along both sides of the track, a safety cable and lift cables keep the door stable. The tracks are what your rollers follow as your garage opens and closes. The safety cables help protect against breakage and protect anyone nearby and your belongings if the cable were to break. Lift cables help the garage door lift and down by connecting to a bottom fixture, up through a pulley, to the extension spring and secured back to the track.

What To Do if Your Extension Cable Door Breaks

If you hear a loud snapping sound from your garage, stay inside! The springs hold thousands of pounds of tension within them and releasing that tension could mean serious bodily harm. For this reason, we recommend contacting your Amarr garage door technician to assess the situation and either repair or replace the broken springs and rollers.

Are Your Springs and Rollers Broken?

Even if you don’t hear a loud snapping sound (this is unique to an extension spring), you’ll know your garage door needs repair or replacement because it’s not able to lift off the ground.

However, if the door is opening too fast and closing with a slam or barely getting off the ground, this is a sign that your springs may be on their last leg and you need to schedule a technician to come out.

At the same time, it’s not uncommon for a roller, the circular wheel-like piece, to come off the track. The best way to understand why is by looking at your cable and drum. If the garage door won’t open or close, it could be due to the rollers jumping off the track. They could have inadequate lubrication, the tracks could have come off the wall, the tracks are misaligned or they’re simply dirty.

Garage Door Track Issues

Diagnosing a track problem could prove to be a little tricky as it may look like a lot of other issues.

Here are a few signs that your tracks are the reason your garage door is not functioning properly:

• Opening unevenly: There may be debris on your tracks or they are extremely dirty.
• Opening and closing too slowly: Another indicator of dirty tracks or that the rollers are not lubricated enough.
• Tracks are misaligned: When you see gaps between the roller and the rail or bends in the rail itself, you’ll hear a rubbing noise when it hits this certain spot.

After years of use, inevitably, your tracks won’t function as well. With routine maintenance and service, you can extend the life of your doors.  Professionally trained technicians know what to look for and how to diagnose garage door issues, garage opener problems, installation, spring or track issues. When your garage door doesn’t close properly, it can affect your home’s security level and safety. Let a professional offer garage door repair service whenever necessary.

What To Do When Your Remote and Keypad Don’t Work

It’s not always the garage door, springs or tracks that cause issues. Sometimes your remote or keypad are malfunctioning as well. You may be pressing your remote as hard as you can or punching in the right numbers on your keypad, but the door is not responding.

Sometimes this issue is simply a matter of replacing the batteries in your devices. If you’ve done this and the door is still not working, then it may be one of several issues:

• Signal is disrupted by an obstruction or out of range.
• Accidentally pressed the locked button on your garage door control panel.
• Remote needs a reset after years of use.
• Door wiring malfunction.

If you’ve tried everything on this list and all that’s left to assume is that the door’s wiring has malfunctioned, you should contact a garage door technician to check it out. Electricians are prepared to handle complicated wiring issues and can conduct the repair with ease and expertise than if you’d done it yourself.

Trust a Professional Amarr Dealer

Whether you need a new garage door replacement, a garage door panel is dented or broken or you need a garage door spring replacement, Amarr dealers have you covered. Amarr dealers take the stress out of mechanical issues and spring danger off your shoulders. Although replacing springs is doable, homeowners often times take the opportunity to upgrade their basic level garage door to a quieter, more durable insulated garage door.  Once you make an appointment, they can always walk you through your options to see what best fits your family’s immediate and long term goals.

How Often Should I Inspect My Garage Door?

You should take a look at your garage door once every month:

• Look for rusting, debris and useability.
• Make sure the door can open manually from the outside without using an opener.
• Check that your windows are intact and there are no cracks or signs of broken glass.
• Ensure the door can close completely without problems.
• Use a broom handle or another object to confirm the eye of the sensor is working, and that the door reopens instead of closing when it catches an object.
• Inspect the alignment by disconnecting the opening and attempting to open the door yourself.

If you ignore your garage when it makes noises, this could result in a full replacement rather than minor garage door repairs. Think of your garage like your car: If you ignore one part, the rest will start to fail as well. Keeping up with garage door maintenance — especially on your springs and rollers — can ensure your garage has a long life.

When To Make an Appointment

A yearly inspection appointment by an Amarr professional can make a huge difference in the longevity of your door. A technician can take a look and adjust any of the following:

• Lubricating the garage door system.
• Inspecting and replacing the rollers.
• Ensuring the door is running properly on the tracks.
• Tightening or replacing fasteners, bolts, lag screws, hinge bolts and bearings.
• Checking that the garage door motor is running properly.
• Scanning your weatherstripping for wear and tear.

Property owners have a lot to keep track of around their homes. Even if something isn’t blatantly broken, it’s important to keep track of the different parts around your house as maintenance. Just because your garage door is working and not making loud, annoying noises, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check on the different parts.

Just like getting a primary care doctor for your body, yearly garage door maintenance is a preventative practice that could save you thousands of dollars in costly repairs. Making an appointment is easy, and your Amarr technician can take some of the burdens off your shoulders around your garage door.

As a critical part of your home, yearly sectional door maintenance is crucial.

You may need new garage doors or just a small screw has come loose. Amarr dealers can diagnose the problem, give you a quote and help you make the best decision possible. They even offer garage door installation. Our garage door service people are trained and have seen just about everything. You can call your Amarr service dealer for emergency service, to look at new garage door opener models and to get a garage door repair total quote.

To learn more about repair and replacement, find an Amarr garage door dealer near you.