Garage doors allow us convenient access to our garages. Until one day, they don’t.
Issues and malfunctions are expected of mechanical products after years of use – and your garage door is no exception. That thing weighs around 150 pounds; closed and opened multiple times a day or over a thousand times in a year – of course, it’s going to fail at one point (or several).
Most garage door problems, however, are simple issues with simple solutions that you can do on your own.
Here’s a rundown of the most common garage door problems, along with their likely fixes. If, however, none of these solutions correct the problem, contact professional garage door repair services near you.
The garage door opener isn’t working
This is, perhaps, the most common issue with garage doors. But don’t worry because this one is usually a quick fix.
If your chain-screw or drive-screw-operated openers aren’t working, they probably need more lubrication to reduce friction. Applying a good amount of lubricant (either silicone-based or a garage door spray) along the length of the opener should do the trick.
The garage door opener is unresponsive
Garage doors not responding to their wall controller, remote, or keyless entry may have photo-eyes issues.
Check the photo-eyes for signs of light. If there are none, go to the breaker panel and turn the breaker on and off. If the door remains unresponsive, check the garage door openers’ plug and power supply. Try plugging something else on the outlet to confirm if it’s working or not.
The garage door is making loud noises
Noisy garage doors usually indicate an underlying problem. But do you know that the type of sound they make may be hinting of the cause?
- Grinding or squeaking
When a garage door makes grinding or squeaking noises, its rollers probably lack lubrication or are already worn out.
If the problem turns out to be insufficient lubrication, then you're in luck because all you have to do is apply some lithium or silicone-based grease, and you're good. If it's the latter, then you have to call in a pro to replace them.
- Rattling
Rattling noises usually hint at some loose bolt, nut, or screw somewhere in the door. To make rattling stop, you only have to locate the areas with loose hardware and tighten them with a wrench and socket set.
- Popping
Popping sounds signify some problem with the door's torsion spring. While most cases only call for minor garage door maintenance - adjustment, lubrication, and working on torsion springs require next-level skills. It's too risky to do on your own, so leave it to the experts.
The garage door won’t close or open all the way
Garage doors that won't fully open or close when you hit the button may be experiencing similar issues.
When something like this happens, check the safety sensors on both sides of the door, near the base, to make sure that nothing is blocking them.
If safety-sensor-obstruction doesn't seem to be the problem, see if the rollers are in good working shape. If they look fine, then some silicone lubricant may help ease their motion along the track. Otherwise, replace severely rusty or damaged rollers.
In case neither solutions work, get professional help.
The door reverses before or after hitting the floor
Garage doors that suddenly reverse before hitting the floor could be having close-force setting problems.
The close-force setting controls the amount of force when closing the garage door. Changes in the setting may affect the level of friction required to shut off the motor as well.
If the close-force setting is off, a little friction from the track may lead the motor into thinking that it has reached the floor and, thus, stops.
On the other hand, doors that fully close only to reverse and open again may have an issue with the close limit switch. In such cases, you have to minor adjustments to the close-limit setting until you get the door to fully stop once it reaches the floor.
Addressing Garage Door Problems
It pays to have a few tips and tricks above your sleeve for quick fixes and emergency garage door situations.
However, DIY garage door repairs can only do so much. The problems can persist if not addressed properly and they may even get worse. If you’re unsure how to address an issue, don’t second guess! Instead, schedule a garage door repair service ASAP!
And while you’re at it, why don’t you throw in annual maintenance service too?
Posted by Judy Orr on
Great blog! It's really helpful to know about common garage door problems and how to fix them. The simple explanations make it easy for anyone to understand. Thanks for sharing these practical tips!
Posted by Window & Door Repair Sunshine Coast on Wednesday, December 6th, 2023 at 10:37pmLeave A Comment