Four Common Garage Door Problems and How to Troubleshoot Them

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Most people take the garage door for granted and rarely notice it when it's working smoothly—until problems arise. The garage door looks simple enough, but it actually contains many components that need to be in tip-top shape for the door to function properly. Unfortunately, the garage door is prone to having problems, tasking the homeowners with everything from performing simple maintenance services such as replacing dead batteries to complex ones such as replacing worn-out rollers. Still, it's necessary because a little troubleshooting goes a long way into maintaining the functionality of your garage door. Here are four common garage door problems and how to fix them.

The Garage Door Slams the Floor When Closing

This typically happens because the tension springs and cables of your garage door are broken. As a homeowner, this occurrence is dangerous, especially if you have kids or pets around the house. Unfortunately, this problem can only be repaired by fixing the spring system, which is best done by a garage door repair professional.

The Garage Door Makes Annoying Noises

Ideally, a garage door should move swiftly along its rail with little to no noise when in operation. If your garage door makes a screeching, grinding, popping or rattling noise, it definitely means there is a problem. While these noises could be created by worn-out hardware parts, they could also be caused by insufficient lubrication or debris in the garage door tracks. Diagnose the cause of the noise on your garage door and fix it by cleaning, replacing or greasing the affected door parts.

The Garage Door Moves Unevenly

A garage door that leans to one side when opening or closing could simply mean that something is blocking its tracks. To alleviate this issue, perform a thorough clean-up of both tracks and remove any obstructions. If this does not fix the issue, call a professional garage door mechanic to check your springs and/or tension levels.

Garage Door Opens/Closes Partially

The photo eye is a component of the door that serves as a safety feature that prevents automatic closing of the door when there's an obstacle on the door's path. If the door does not close fully, this is often due to a misaligned photo eye. To correct this anomaly, conduct a visual analysis of your photo eye and clean any dirt on it.

While most of garage door issues above can be fixed on your own, it's recommended that you call in a professional for the advanced fixes, such as replacing broken springs or cables. The professional will inspect your garage door and conduct services that will prevent a recurrence of the issue.


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