Troubleshooting Some Common Problems With a Tilt Garage Door Opener

A tilt garage door is a very popular style for many residential homes, as is having an automatic garage door opener attached to this door. This door and opener may work for many years without any problems, but they will eventually break down due to age and standard wear and tear. Note a few common problems you might experience with such a garage door opener so you know what to expect by way of needed repairs.

Popping sound

If the garage door makes a popping sound as it opens, this usually means the rollers are worn. These are pieces at the side of the door that run along a track. When the door tilts out to open, this puts tremendous weight and pressure on those rollers. If they're worn down, rusted, or otherwise uneven, they will pop as they try to roll while holding that weight and pressure. These rollers should be replaced as soon as possible, as they can easily fail if they're worn and, in turn, the garage door may not open at all. It may also easily slam shut, which is very dangerous.

Door doesn't close evenly on one side

If you've inspected the door itself to ensure that it's not bent or damaged in one corner, closing unevenly usually means that you need a new spring or chain on that side. Tilt doors may work with two springs or chains, one on each side, to pull the door up evenly. If one spring or chain is broken, rusted, pulled out of shape, or otherwise damaged, the two sides of the door won't close evenly and the door may hang crooked. This chain or spring also should be replaced as soon as possible to keep the door from suddenly slamming shut.

Door stays tilted and won't open all the way

If the garage door doesn't open all the way and part of it still juts out from under the entryway at an angle, this usually means an arm of the door is rusted or otherwise damaged. A tilt door works with an arm on both sides that push the door outward as it opens, so that the door lies flat and can slide along the garage roof. If an arm won't extend fully, the garage door won't lay flat and it can't slide onto the track along the roof. You can try spraying the arms with lubricating spray to see if this allows them to extend full; otherwise, they may need replacing.