Three Signs That Could Mean Your Garage Doors Need Repairs

Outside of standard garage door maintenance, your doors will occasionally need more thorough inspections and repairs. Issues with your doors can get worse if they aren't taken care of, and some can pose a safety risk if not fixed immediately. Here are three things to look out for that could indicate your garage doors need repairs.

1. Door Makes Banging Sounds

When your door opens and closes, it should move smoothly and quietly. Banging sounds that occur when the garage door is moving could hint at a few different problems that need attention.

The first is that your garage door system might simply need some maintenance. Your tracks may need to be realigned or your rollers may need lubrication.

A second possible issue is that the door itself is hanging crooked, which can mean that one side of the door, its tracks, and springs will be much more strained. Not only can this damage your tracks, springs, and opener, but it will make it harder for the door to open and close smoothly.

In these cases, your door may need to be inspected and realigned, and the tracks and springs will need to be inspected as well. If any damage has been done to your door or components as a result, they'll need to be repaired so the doors can be safely used again.

2. Door Won't Open or Close Properly

A door that doesn't open or close correctly can show itself in a few different ways. The door may close but look crooked, it may open and then fall back slightly, or it may reverse itself before or when it touches the ground.

One common cause of this problem is your springs. When springs start to weaken, they lose their ability to move the door smoothly. If it looks like the door is occasionally slipping downward as it moves, your springs may need to be repaired or replaced. This could also indicate a problem with your cables.

Another possibility is the garage door opener. If you use a chain drive opener, the gear that moves the chain could be stripped. When the gear strips, it may occasionally lose its grip on the chain and cause the door to slip. This is a safety hazard and should be repaired as soon as possible.

Crooked doors can also cause the same problem here. If only one side of your door touches the ground completely, your door is hanging crookedly and will need to be fixed.

3. Door Sags or Looks Uneven

Depending on the material of your doors, they may be more susceptible to damage such as rot and warping, commonly caused by exposure to water. Wood doors are especially vulnerable; if their weatherproof seal or your weatherstripping fails, the wood can start to rot and weaken or even bend. If your door is warping, it will look like it's sagging or sitting unevenly. In this case, the problem is not with how your door is set, but that the door itself is damaged and needs repair. This will be more noticeable on single-panel doors, such as those that open up rather than folding inside the garage.

If you do have a sectional door, individual panels can get damaged or hinges can loosen or fail. Every section should form a complete seal with the rest of the door when it's fully closed; look for any gaps between the panels or signs of damage to hinges. Depending on the issue, individual panels can be repaired or replaced without you needing to buy an entirely new door, so ask a technician to inspect your door for you.

For more information, contact services like Wise Garage Doors.


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