Common Garage Door Issues And Repairs
Your garage door probably gets quite a bit of use within its lifetime. All of that coming and going and opening and closing of your garage door can eventually wear on it over time. You're going to run into a problem from time to time. Read on for some of these problems and what you can do to repair it.
Garage Door Is Crooked
If your door is closing, but not all the way on one side or is slightly crooked, it may be due to un-level rails. Take a look at the rails that your garage door sits in when opening and closing, and use a level to check if they are still level. Use a rubber mallet to move the rails so they are level again if need be and tighten all screws and bolts holding the rails in place. Open and close your garage door to see if this helps.
Garage Door Squeaks
If your garage door makes an awful squeaking or squealing noise when opening or closing, it may be time for some lubricant. The rails and the rollers on the door need to be lubricated and cleaned. They can build up with all types of gunk, dirt and other debris with time and cleaning these areas and adding lubricant is going to help with the noise and will also help your door open and close with ease. Use a rag to clean these areas, then spray a lubricant made for garage doors. Don't use oil or grease to lubricate as these tend to be sticky and could attract dirt.
Garage Door Isn't Closing
If the garage door isn't closing at all or closes partially and then opens again, you may simply need batteries in your garage door opener, but if that isn't the problem it may be your sensor. Check to see if the sensor is pointed in the right direction and wasn't hit by anything that would have caused it to move. Also check that the sensor is clean. If it's too dirty it may think there's something in the way of the door and won't close.
These are just a few of the issues you may encounter in the lifetime of owning your garage door. These are minor and can probably be repaired by yourself, but if you encounter bigger problems that you aren't able to fix it's time to call in a professional garage door repair expert for help.