Most Common Garage Door Repairs
Garage doors are an essential part of any home. They help protect your car, the items stored in your garage, and your home from the weather, animals, and unwanted visitors. Not to mention, a garage provides access to your car. With all this, it’s surprising that people rarely stop to consider their garage doors or their needs.
No matter how good your garage door is, it will eventually need some repairs. The longer these repairs are put off, the worse off the repairs will be when they’re eventually dealt with.
Here at All Access Overhead Doors, we’ve seen quite a few garage door repairs. There are several repairs that are more common than others. Here they are listed below, along with how to spot these repairs.
1. Garage Door Spring Replacement — The Essential One
Garage door springs are paramount for the functionality of your garage door. They are what hold the energy required to lift these extremely heavy doors easily. Without a functioning set of springs, your garage door isn’t moving.
Unfortunately, a broken garage door spring is the #1 repair that we experience. This is because the springs are under constant pressure and usage. A Torsion spring (the average spring used in homes) is designed to last about 10,000 cycles—each cycle being one full opening and closing. You can do the math for how long your springs will last by determining how often you use your garage door. Most springs will last about 8-10 years before giving out.
When your springs do break, you’ll notice 3-4″ gaps in the coils. Your garage door likely won’t open or it will slam shut. Don’t try to mess with your garage door or the springs when this happens! The springs have a lot of tension in them that could prove dangerous. Always let a trained professional handle the spring replacement.
It’s not difficult for a specialist to replace these springs, and it can usually be done in the same day! So there’s no need to worry, your garage door will be back to normal soon.
2. Garage Door Opener Repair — The Inconvenient One
The second most common repair that we see is a garage door opener repair. Most of the time, when a garage door won’t open, people blame the opener, when it’s most often the springs that are the issue.
If you suspect that your opener is the problem, try the following things:
- Restart the garage door opener.
- Replace the batteries in the remote.
- Clear away any debris that’s blocking the sensors.
If none of these work, try to gently manually open your garage door. If it opens easily, the problem is likely with the opener.
If you can determine that the problem is with the opener, you should still be able to use your garage door by opening and closing it manually. It’s very inconvenient, but it means that you won’t be stuck in a worst-case scenario.
Your opener might need to be repaired or it might need to be replaced, either way, it’s a pretty quick fix.
3. Garage Door Panel Replacement — The Obvious One
A damaged garage door panel is the most obvious repair that you’re going to see. If the panel is dented, it needs to be repaired. It’s very clear when this happens because a) you can see the giant dent in the door, and b) your garage door will most likely not open all the way. This happens because the door is uneven and can’t run across the tracks smoothly.
Panels most often become damaged when people accidentally back into them, denting the frame. it’s also common for children to hit them, like with a baseball bat or football.
Fortunately, you shouldn’t need to replace the whole garage door when this happens. Most of the panels can be replaced individually, saving you a lot of time and money. We’re experts at matching materials and colors to replicate your original garage door as much as possible.
If the damage to your garage door is extensive, it may be wiser and cheaper to opt for a whole new garage door replacement. It’s best to let your garage door technician determine this. If the damage is small and contained to one or two panels, however, you’ll most likely need just a panel replacement.
4. Garage Door Off-Track — The Critical One
This type of repair requires delicate handling. Most likely, if your garage door is off-track, it simply won’t move. You can usually tell when it’s off-track because it’s resting at an angle. This is more pronounced in some cases over others.
When this happens, it’s very important that you don’t try to use your garage door. Forcing the door to open when it’s off-track can greatly damage the other parts in your garage door, leading to more costly repairs.
This is usually a fairly easy fix for a trained technician. They’ll be able to realign your door and perform a balance test to make sure that it’s exactly as it should be. The main thing to remember is to not use your door until it’s working properly again.
5. Garage Door Cable Replacement — The Subtle One
Finally, the fifth most common repair that we see is a garage door cable repair. They tend to have a fairly short lifespan of about 7-10 years. Higher-quality cables will last longer, of course.
Cables act as a counterbalance system for your garage door, so when they break, your garage door is going to have difficulty operating. It’s better to leave your door alone when a cables breaks so you don’t risk damaging other parts.
A good garage door repair company will keep its trucks stocked with high-cycle garage door cable replacement parts so that any broken cable issue can be repaired quickly. This type of repair will not take long to fix. A trained professional can replace your cables very quickly and have you back to normal in no time!
Garage Door Maintenance — Why It’s a Crucial One
Garage door maintenance is essential for properly caring for your garage door. Annual maintenance helps your garage door to work better and last longer.
During a maintenance visit, your technicians will tighten and lubricate all the parts of the garage door, perform a door balance test, and check to make sure that everything’s working like it’s supposed to. These things will keep your garage door working for a long time!
With regular maintenance, it’ll be easier to catch one of these problems in the early stages, saving you time and money down the road. For example, your technician may recommend that you go ahead and replace your springs if they’re getting up there in years. This will prevent them from breaking at an inconvenient time that locks you or your car in the garage.
Maintenance is very helpful for your garage door, so don’t forget about scheduling it!
Contact Us for Garage Door Repair Near You
If you need any type of garage door repair or maintenance, give All Access Overhead Doors a call! We can help with any of these repairs or any others that may arise. Our technicians know just what to do, so contact us today!
