It’s easy to forget the everyday importance of a properly functioning garage door but when something goes wrong which interferes with your daily routine, or worse threatens the reliability and safety of your home, it’s difficult to think about anything else until it’s completely and dependably repaired. For many homeowners this means contacting local professional garage door repair contractors to provide immediate repair services but for some particularly skilled DIYers garage door repairs can be quickly assessed and in some cases repaired without having to involve contractors at all! If you’re interested in trying your hand at garage door repairs or at the very least reducing the cost of your garage door repair by determining the cause on your own then follow these simple steps carefully as soon as you notice that your garage door is in need of some care.
Step 1:
The majority of problems with residential garage doors are based off of problems with the metal tracks which allow the door itself to lift and drop as it should. To begin your repair carefully examine these tracks for any loose, dented, or cracked sections. These sections can typically be repaired by basic tightening of loose fastenings, tapping to correct dents, and potentially replacing the tracks if their condition is too compromised to safely rely on further.
Step 2:
Use a level to make sure that your garage door’s tracks are perfectly straight. Whether your home utilizes a roll-up garage door which lifts in segments or a flip-up garage door which lifts as one, intact piece, even the slightest crookedness in the metal tracks will prevent complete opening. If you find that your tracks aren't perfectly straight gently loosen the fastenings which are keeping it attached and guide it back into position.
Step 3:
If you've carefully and diligently determined that there’s no problem with your metal track system, the difficulty with your garage door opening is, in all likelihood, a result of a problem with the torsion springs. Whereas the tracks guide the garage door to slide evenly and dependably, the torsion springs attached to your garage door are the key feature that allows movement at all. If a quick look at your home’s torsion springs reveals any dirt or rust buildup then a careful homeowner can usually clear up the issue with some basic cleaning. However, if your garage’s torsion springs are bent, broken, or sagging then they may be dangerous and professional repairs are called for. These springs are under a significant amount of pressure and if not handled carefully and expertly they can cause serious damage to your property and serious injury to your family.
It’s important that at any point throughout this garage door repair process, if you feel unsafe or uncertain about your ability to proceed you leave the area and get in touch with experienced, expert garage door repair specialists as soon as possible.
