Your garage door has two main components that may malfunction – the door and the opener that controls the door’s movement. The door itself may be a single panel door or be made up of a series of panels that roll up controlled by a spring and roller system. There may be two kinds of openers, depending on the kind of spring that is used. If the door stops responding to the opener or malfunctions in any other way, you can carry out some basic repairs yourself.
Some tips:
- If there is a problem with the door itself,there are number of things that you can do yourself to fix it. Check that the brackets and the tracks are screwed on properly. Tighten the screws if they are loose. If the tracks are damaged, replace them.
- Both of the tracks must be at the same height on the wall. If they are not, loosen them and gently tap them into place.
- If the garage gates are the kind that swing up, check the plates that hold the spring system to make sure they are fixed in place. Tighten any screws that are loose. Make sure that the door does not sag in any one direction, if it is a roll-up door. If it does, then oil the hinges that hold the panels of the door together.
- If you find that there doesn’t seem to be a problem with the door, there may be a problem with the spring system. The repairs needed depend on the kind of spring system that the opener is based on: an extension spring or a torsion spring. If it is an extension spring system, there will be a system of two springs stretched and mounted parallel to the horizontal tracks. If the opener is not working, the chances are that there are some broken parts – broken pulleys or torn cables. Look for these parts and simply replace them.
Caution: Do not try to repair a door with an overhead torsion spring. It is a high-tension spring that may bounce off and hurt you if you try to fix it yourself. Call a professional for help.
Do you need professional help to fix or change your garage doors? Gaithersburg has a number of professional services that can help you do so. If you want to replace your old doors, remember that doors with a torsion spring mechanism can last longer, even though they can be slightly more expensive than the kind with an extension spring system.
