Your garage door is a complex piece of machinery, with lots of moving parts. On top of that, it’s used at least twice a day. Because of this, it’s always in motion and those parts are wearing out. That’s not something to be concerned about, as that’s going to happen with all kinds of mechanisms in your home. However, you do need to be aware of when something is wearing out or going wrong.
Here’s when to call a garage door repairman to help you out with your garage door.
When Can You DIY A Repair?
The first thing you’ll be wondering is, can you actually do some repairs yourself, rather than call in a repair expert? It’s a good question to ask, and the answer is it very much depends on your level of expertise.
Again, that garage door is made up of many moving parts, and they all need to be working together in harmony. If one part isn’t right, then it’s going to throw the entire balance off. As a DIY enthusiast, you may be able to diagnose some issues and try to put them right. For example, if you can see the weatherstripping wearing out at the bottom of the door, you can replace it yourself.
The problem is, lots of parts in your garage door are more complex than you’d think. Take your garage door springs, for instance. They’re an important part of the system, giving the garage door the tension it needs to stay open as you drive through it. Those springs wear out over time and will need to be replaced. You could do it yourself, but they will still hold a lot of tension. That makes it dangerous for you to handle, as the spring can fly away, causing property or worse, injuring you.
In these cases, it’s always better to call on an expert. They have the know-how and the right tools to handle the repair and ensure that it’s done properly. As such, even if you think you could do the repair, you should ask an expert to take a look first.
Uneven Garage Doors
So, when should you call on a garage door repairman to help you with your garage door? Firstly, it’s worth calling if you’re having issues with the garage door being uneven. Is one side of the garage door higher up than the other? This could be down to those springs.
You can test this first, by doing a balance test. Simply unplug your garage door opener, and open up the garage door by hand. Open it up halfway, and then step away. Does the garage door stay put? If not, then the springs could well be wearing out.
If you think this is the case, then you can call on an expert to help you. They will be able to determine whether the springs are at fault, and remove them safely. They’ll then add new springs onto the door, which should give it the tension it needs.
It’s important that you call them as soon as possible. The longer you leave the issue, the worse it will get. That will cause damage to other parts of the door over time, leading to a more expensive repair. You’ll also need to consider that an uneven door won’t protect your home from rodents and other pests or weather. Make the booking now so you don’t have to deal with more damage down the line.
The Garage Door Won’t Open
This is another common issue that garage door experts often have to handle. There are actually many reasons why it’s not opening up when you need it to, and it can be hard to work that out on your own. For example, the door may have come dislodged from the track, or or the cables have snapped. It could be another issue that broken garage door springs have caused, as they won’t be able to pull the garage door up and open when needed.
As there are so many causes of a garage door not opening, it’s hard to know where to start with it yourself. Instead, call on an expert to take a look at it for you. They’ll be able to run tests to narrow down the cause of the problem, and as soon as they’ve found it, they’ll be able to put it right for you.
Rollers Have Come Off The Track
The rollers on your garage door are what allow it to move up and down the track as needed. As the door gets older, or when it’s damaged, it’s easy for the door to come off the rollers. You’ll know this has happened if you’re unable to open or close the door.
Obviously, this is an urgent issue, and so you’ll need someone to come to take a look at it quickly. You can get an expert to come on an emergency6 repair, and they’ll be there as soon as possible to help you out. They’ll be able to identify whether it is the rollers that have caused the problem, and put it right for you.
Maintaining Your Garage Door
Of course, you don’t want any damage to take place to your garage door if you can help it. As such, you’ll need to do regular maintenance in order to keep the door in good repair. If you’re doing basic maintenance, you’ll stop most issues in their tracks. If something does go wrong, then you’ll be able to spot it quickly and have someone come and take care of it.
To maintain the door, you’ll need to do a visual inspection of it regularly. Look for any wear and tear, such as slack in the garage door springs. Also, ensure you’re lubricating all moving parts of the door at least once a year, to prevent wear.
If you’re having any issues with your garage door, it’s a good idea to call a repairman to help you sooner rather than later. This ensures you have a smaller repair bill, and a garage door that’s in full working order.