Has your garage door gone crooked?
It’s irritating at best, and a security issue at worst. If the door isn’t sitting in the frame right, you’ll need to repair it as soon as possible. This can be a bit of a process, so we thought it might be helpful to share a step-by-step guide.
Here’s how to fix a crooked garage door …
Why is Your Garage Door Crooked?
To properly mend the garage door, you need to understand why the problem has happened. There are several reasons why it’s happened, including:
Knocked or moved sensors: The garage door sensors are what helps the garage door opener ‘see’ is anything is in the way of the garage door when you open and close it. If they’re out of alignment, they will cause problems for the door when you try to use it. Check that your sensors are in alignment, and if they’re not, move them back.
Lack of lubrication: When maintaining the garage door, it’s important you keep it lubricated with a proper lithium-based lubricant. If there’s no lubrication, important parts of the door will seize up, making it harder for the door to move. This can easily lead to it becoming crooked.
Older or broken springs: The springs on your garage door can lead to it becoming crooked. These are what give the door the tension it needs to open and close. If they’re wearing out, it’ll be harder for the door to open and will cause more problems. If left longer, they can even break. They can cause a lot of damage and even injury, so be careful when replacing them or call a professional.
Cold weather: As the winter approaches, you need to be careful of crooked garage doors. Cold weather means the metal and wood in your door will contract. This can lead to the door buckling and becoming crooked, or even jam.
How to Fix A Crooked Garage Door
If you’ve found that your garage door has become crooked, it’s easier to fix than you’d think. There are several steps involved and it may be dangerous due to the weight of the garage door. We recommend contacting a professional if you’re comfortable working with heavy garage door equipment and mechanics.
Here’s how you’ll go about getting it back to normal.
Step 1. Identify the Crooked Spot
Firstly, you need to test the garage door. Move it up and down, until you find a spot where it stays suspended when you let go. Pay attention to where that spot is. If it’s more than four feet or less than three feet above the ground, that’s a sign that the garage door is unbalanced. Your next step will be to start fixing that balance issue.
Step 2. Prop the Door Open
If you’re going to work on the door, you’ll need to prop it open. The best way to do this is to leave a ladder under it, to keep it open. This takes the pressure off the door springs and ensures that the door won’t close on you as you’re working on it. Also, ensure that you unplug the garage door opener to stop the door from opening and closing automatically.
Step 3. Move the Springs
Now, you need to move the springs. Before you do this, ensure there is no tension in the spring to avoid injury. Where you move them will depend on the exact issue you’re having with the door. If it’s opening too quickly, then move the spring to the next highest hole on the bracket. If it’s closing too quickly, then move it to the next lower hole.
Adjust the springs on the other side of the door in the same way, and then retest the door in the same way as step one. If it balances properly, then this step has been done correctly.
Step 4. Keep it Level
Get a spirit level and test that the door opens and shuts evenly. You want to see it close to the ground evenly, on both sides. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to adjust the springs until it does.
Step 5. Make Adjustments
If you need to make some fine adjustments, try adjusting the lift cable instead of the spring. It’s attached to the door and runs through an S hook that attaches to the track support. Take the S-hook out of the support, and loosen or tighten the cable as needed.
With this guide, you should be able to get the door properly balanced and safe to use again. It’s easy to do yourself, but you do need to take care of the springs.
Remember, if you need any help always call on the professionals to give you a hand.
Additional Garage Door Issues
If you have found your garage door has become crooked, you need to address the issue as soon as possible. There are several problems that they can cause, that you want to avoid:
Opening and closing too quickly: The main issue you’ll get with a crooked garage door is the opening and closing speed. If it closes too quickly, then it will be a risk to anyone who moves under it, especially children and pets. It’ll also put extra strain on the moving parts that you want to avoid.
Damp and leaks in your garage: If the door isn’t sitting in the frame properly, it can let all kinds of things in. If you get a downpour, you’ll see damp start to creep into the garage. It also creates an excellent pathway for pests, which is the last thing you want.
Uneven component wearing: If the door isn’t sitting as it should, then you’ll see all the components will start to wear unevenly. It creates more cost for you, as you’ll have to replace parts sooner than you should.
Create more defects: If the door is crooked, then it can’t work as it should. The other moving parts in the mechanism will have to work overtime, and some will break as they won’t be able to handle the extra pressure.
Become a target for thieves: Those looking to steal are more likely to target you if they see the door is crooked. It’s easier to get in when the door doesn’t fit properly, so it’s very tempting for them to try and get in.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to fix a crooked garage door, you need to decide whether or not you’re up for the project. If you’re not too familiar with garage door parts and mechanics, you may want to consider hiring a professional garage door repair company for help.
A professional will be familiar with the components of your garage door and, most importantly, understand how to safely repair the problem.
If you need help, consider contacting Your Garage Door Guys today.