If you have a garage door, you may run into several common garage door issues. This may be due to the age of the garage door or how often you use it. Garage doors are designed to last for years, but they do require maintenance from time to time.
In this article, we’re taking a look at some of the more common garage door issues homeowners face over time.
Common Garage Door Issues
Your garage door is made up of a lot of moving parts, and over time you’ll see that some begin to fail. That means you can’t get the door open, get it closed, or even lock it. There are several reasons why you’re experiencing an issue with your garage door.
Here are several common garage door issues.
Garage Door Keeps Auto Reversing
Is your garage door auto-reversing when you go to shut it? This is usually a safety feature, used to stop the garage door from shutting on you or your car if you happen to be standing in its path. If the door is auto-reversing even when the path is clear, that’s a sign that there’s something wrong with the photo eyes.
These sit at either side of the door, close to the ground. In most cases, you’ll see they’re just dirty. When they are, they are stopped from working properly, and so assume there’s something in the doorway. Wipe them off with a dry soft cloth, and try closing the door again.
If this doesn’t work, the eyes may be misaligned. This causes the door to auto-reverse, as it interrupts the light beam between them. Tie a length of string between them, and adjust the mounts until the string is totally level. This should solve the problem.
Dented Garage Door
It’s easier to dent a garage door than you’d think. Severe weather can do it, as well as a stray football or a tap from your car. A small dent can easily be removed, though. There are a couple of methods you can use to get that dent out. Firstly, you can try using a rubber mallet and a 2 x 4 of wood. Hold the wood against the spot the dent bends outwards, and use the mallet to tap the wood and push the metal back into place. You can also try the aluminum foil, canner air, and lighter method, which is popular with mechanics.
If the dent is too bad to be pushed out, you can replace the panel without replacing the whole door. You’ll see you can slide the panel out of your garage door and replace it with a new one. Talk to the supplier of your garage door to get the right panel for you.
Garage Door Won’t Open
If the garage door won’t open when you press the button on your remote, there could be several reasons why. Firstly, let’s look at the most simple ones. Is the garage door locked closed? This could be stopping it from moving. The garage door opener may have been unplugged, stopping it from working. The batteries in the remote may simply be dead and need replacing.
It could also be that the springs on the door have broken. These are what give the door the tension needed to open, but after so many uses they will break.
We recommend contacting a professional for help with garage door spring replacement.
Garage Door is Making Squealing or Creaking Noises
When you use your garage door, are you noticing it making unusual noises such as squealing and creaking? That’s a sign that you need to lubricate the moving parts of the garage door. It’s important to do this regularly, as it helps the door work at full capacity for longer.
It could also be a sign that the tracks are bent or dented, causing the noise. This needs to be dealt with as soon as possible, as it can actually damage the door and lead to you needing a replacement. If the dent isn’t too pronounced, you can use the same method described for removing dents to get it out. If you can’t though, you’ll need to look into having the tracks replaced.
Garage Door Won’t Stay Open
You may find that when you open your garage door, it won’t stay open as it’s meant to. Instead, it’ll slide back down. This again will be due to springs being broken or worn out. As they’re worn out, they can’t provide the tension needed to keep the door open. Again, you’ll need to look into having them replaced in order to get the door working again.
Garage Door Won’t Close Properly
When you close the garage door, does it hit the floor and then auto-reverse? This is going to be the fault of your limit switch. This is what tells your garage door opener that the door has reached the ground. If it’s not set properly, it will think that it’s hit something before the ground when in fact, it has just closed. This is why the door will auto-reverse when you try to shut it.
This is something that usually happens when you have a new garage door, or a new garage door opener installed. The limits are probably wrong, and so the opener doesn’t know how far the door should go before it hits the ground. Check your manual to see how you can adjust the limits on your model. It may take some trial and error, but it won’t take long to get right.
Garage Door is Sticking or is Totally Stuck
When you try to open your garage door, is it not opening all the way, or will it not move at all? This is a sign that there’s something wrong with the tracks. Again, a dent or bend in the track will be enough to cause problems, so you’ll want to repair them if you can.
If you can’t see a dent, it could be that something is stuck in the tracks, stopping the door from moving. Clean out the tracks and try the door again.
Request an Estimate
These are some of the most common garage door issues people experience with their garage door at some point or another. If you’re experiencing a garage door issue, contact Your Garage Door Guys and request an estimate.
We offer our service throughout the Ventura County and Los Angeles County areas.