Just like how your body gives you warnings when you’ve overdone it, your garage door does the same. If it starts to sound like a rattlesnake or popping popcorn or if it has just stopped working all together, you’ve got a problem on your hands. After years of opening and closing, here are the top 5 most common garage door mechanisms that will likely need repaired at some point.
1: Springs
All day, every day, the most common garage door fix performed by Precision is spring repair. Due to natural metal fatigue, springs will weaken over time and begin to stretch. The common indicators that the springs need fixed or replaced is when the door is no longer “weightless”, is moving unevenly, or is not moving at all. At Precision, springs have a 40,000+ cycle life (the expected longevity) to decrease your chance of replacing your garage door springs.
If you notice the springs are broken or stretched, do not try to fix them. You could end up adding more tension to the mechanism which could lead to bigger issues down the road. This is also the part of the repair that carries the highest risk for injury. Be sure to call in the professionals to replace your springs!
2: Garage Door Opener
The second most common call Precision gets is for the garage door opener. With daily usage over the years, openers get strained. This can lead to mechanical failures and unwanted noise. If your door isn’t opening at all, your garage door opener might be to blame. There could be numerous reasons why. The batteries in the remote might be dead or there could be a problem with the opener’s transmitter.
Whatever the problem, take the opportunity to upgrade! With the latest push for smart home integration, you might be interested in tech-enhancements. Such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities. With the recent violent storms, a battery back-up has become a popular feature to add to your garage’s door opener system.
3: Rollers
Rollers roll, not slide. One of the best ways to know if your garage door isn’t working properly is just by listening to it. If there is a grinding or squeaking noise, this could mean that your rollers are sliding across the track and not rolling. Many folks believe just adding a lubricant will get them rolling again, but this could cause more damage! Lubrication often attracts more dust and dirt into the rollers. However, that’s not an issue if you work with Precision since we use maintenance-free sealed bearings that keep dust and dirt out.
4: Seals
If sunlight is illuminating your garage and there aren’t any windows, this could be a sign that your seals have gone bad. The seals start to deteriorate due to elements like rain and snow. This can lead to several potential issues. The first concern is pests. When the bottom seal starts to go, this leaves an opening for unwanted critters to invade. Even the side and top seals are vulnerable to pesky mosquitoes and other flying pests.
The second issue that is exacerbated with worn-out seals is temperature mismanagement. Wherever there is light coming through, air is coming through. If it’s the middle of winter, it doesn’t matter how much insulation your garage has if you have faulty seals. Then vice versa during the summer. To keep pests out and manage your garage’s temperature, you need a fully sealed garage door!
5: Bearings & Drums
Bearings march to the beat of the drums, working together to bear the weight of the garage door and to keep it balanced. Sometimes these parts are installed incorrectly. This leads to more wear and tear on the bearings and drums. If you’ve noticed this part of the garage door starts to sag, then one of the parts isn’t working properly. The part is taking on too much pressure, which could result in disaster. If you suspect there is an issue with this part of the door, do not try to fix this by yourself. Contact the professionals at Precision.
Rely on the Experts
For most of these problems, you’re not going to find quality parts at the big box stores for a proper fix. Also, some of these problems (like springs, rollers, bearings, and drums) are too dangerous to repair on your own and not worth the risk. Leave it to the repair experts, contact us today!
