How To Determine Whether You Need A New Garage Door Or Repairs
Garage doors are a common sight in any city, town, or suburb. They are also one of the most important parts of your home. You can’t get to your car without your garage door, and you need it for security too. But when does it make sense to invest in repairs or a new garage door?
Check your garage door for any dents or damaged areas.
If there are rolled edges that have been bent up from accidents, you’ll need to get them repaired. Sometimes dents and other damage can be fixed or straightened out, and sometimes they can’t. You’ll want to check a few places on your door for damage if possible to see whether the whole door needs repairs or you just have a problem area.
Make sure your garage door is balanced so that it doesn’t become dented or damaged when opening and closing it. If the balance starts to go, you might need new springs, which are also very dangerous if not installed properly. To check the balance of your garage door, simply lift one side of the door so that it’s fully open. Then let go and see if your garage door closes or falls back down. If it needs adjustment, you’ll want to call a professional; otherwise, you can fix this problem on your own with the right do-it-yourself tools.
Look at your garage door and get a sense of how often it’s used. If you use it every day, then well-maintained parts won’t be as big of an issue. But if your garage is rarely used or is more for storage than anything else, then you might need to replace your garage door after a few years.
Inspect the tracks and hinges to see if they are loose, bent, or broken.
If there are rolled edges that have been bent up from accidents, you’ll need to get them repaired. Sometimes dents and other damage can be fixed or straightened out, and sometimes they can’t. You’ll want to check a few places on your door for damage if possible to see whether the whole door needs repairs or you just have a problem area.
Make sure your garage door is balanced so that it doesn’t become dented or damaged when opening and closing it. If the balance starts to go, you might need new springs, which are also very dangerous if not installed properly. To check the balance of your garage door, simply lift one side of the door so that it’s fully open. Then let go and see if your garage door closes or falls back down. If it needs adjustment, you’ll want to call a professional; otherwise, you can fix this problem on your own with the right do-it-yourself tools.
Look at your garage door and get a sense of how often it’s used. If you use it every day, then well-maintained parts won’t be as big of an issue. But if your garage is rarely used or is more for storage than anything else, then you might need to replace your garage door after a few years.
Does your garage door get stuck a few inches from the bottom?
This is often a sign that there are broken parts, like bearings or garage door springs.
If your garage door seems to get stuck a few inches from the bottom, or not moving at all, then there might be a loose cable or broken spring. Springs are located on both sides, or top of, the garage door, and they must be replaced. You should also have a professional take a look at your automatic opener to make sure that everything is in working order.
There are many options when it comes to garage doors and repairs, so you’ll need to do some research before trying to fix anything yourself. Parts like broken springs and cables might seem like they can be fixed, but you should always leave it up to a professional to avoid injury to yourself or valuables.
If you notice that your garage door is uneven or off-track
If a broken roller, loose / snapped cables or bent track is causing the garage door to go up and down diagonally and not on track, contact a garage door professional for same day repair.
If this is the case, you can have your garage door repaired as soon as possible to avoid leaving the garage door open all night. Be sure to call a local company that specializes in these types of repairs. They will be able to help you determine what could have caused the problem and whether you need a new garage door or just some small repairs are done first.
Making sure that your garage door is working properly should be a priority, especially if it’s an older garage door. As time passes and hardware rusts or springs lose tension, you may need to have the garage door looked at by a professional who can do smaller repairs for you or replace parts of the garage door with new ones.
If you live in an old house with an older garage door, then you might want to make sure that the area around it is secure. This will help keep your building even and ensure that you can use the door properly without any issues.
If you need repairs on a garage door that has been recently installed, call a local company that specializes in these types of jobs.
Look at the weather stripping to see if it's worn out and needs replacement.
You should have the weather stripping replaced on a regular basis, as it is only meant to last for so long.
Lubricate the moving parts with garage door lubricant once to 2 times year to avoid emergency situations. This will help extend the life of your garage door and keep it properly working. If you’re not sure how and where to lubricate it, then you should have a professional do the work for you.
If your garage door isn’t preventing light from coming in on the sides/bottom as it once did, or you are finding little critters or mice in your garage, reach out to a garage door professional today to inspect your weatherseal and molding around your garage door as it may need replacing. Just like anything else, time will do its thing and normal wear and tear will occur, but can be easily and in an affordable manner, be replaced.
Check for rust on metal parts and replace as needed.
If you have metal parts that show signs of rust, then you will need to have them replaced as soon as possible.
You should also take a look at your tracks and ensure that they are well lubricated and don’t show any signs of damage. If the track is damaged or in bad condition, then it may need to be replaced.
If your garage door is showing sings of cracks or severe bending, then it will need to be replaced. You can have the track replaced but there’s no guarantee that this will solve your problem, as a new garage door may be necessary.
You should also have the spring replaced if you see one or both broken. It is always recommended to replace both springs (even if just 1 is broken) to avoid 1 spring having more tension then the other, possibly causing issues in the near future.
Test all of the springs to ensure they're working properly.
You should have a garage door professional inspect your springs regardless of whether they are broken or not – 1-2 times yearly when doing general garage door maintenance. Checking this will ensure that you can prevent them from breaking in the future and needing to be replaced in an emergency situation.
If you have garage door openers, make sure to have it inspected as well 1-2 time a year. Automatic openers tend to give you a signal for a few days before dying.
If you have a broken or damaged garage door, then it will need to be replaced. Replacing this could help you keep your home safe and secure at all times. If you only need repairs done on the garage door opener that’s already been installed, then make sure to call a professional to get the job done.
You should call a professional if you need larger repairs, including garage door replacement or major work on your opener as this isn’t easy and can be dangerous. They will have all the tools they need to complete their job quickly and efficiently so that it doesn’t cause any more problems in the future.
They will have the right equipment to complete a job like this in a timely manner so that you don’t need to worry about any further issues with your garage door. If you are trying to install or repair your own garage door, then this can be extremely dangerous and cause serious problems in the future.
Any professional should be able to give you a clear answer about whether or not it is necessary to replace your garage door. Call on us today to schedule a consultation.
