Garage Doors: An Abundance of Options

Your garage door comprises intricate parts working perfectly together to ensure it stays balanced as it goes up and down. Like other mechanical structures, a few things can cause your garage door to malfunction at the most inopportune moments, perhaps early in the morning as you head out for that crucial meeting. When this happens, you need an expert. 

It is tempting to try out some DIY repair; however, this is not advisable in certain situations. Garage doors are very heavy and usually under a great deal of tension. Many attempts at DIY repairs that have gone wrong end up causing extensive damage to the installation and even people attempting the repairs. Below are common instances when you should call in professional garage door repair. 

Misaligned Tracks

Most garage doors depend on tracks that run from the floor to the ceiling for smooth up and down operation. Lack of maintenance can cause the tracks to lose their alignment. Someone bumping into the door or loose hardware can also cause a misaligned track.

A misaligned track makes your garage door a safety hazard. Off-balance doors easily fall off the tracks, causing serious injury. Other times, the door can jam and make it impossible to get your car in or out of the garage. A garage door that doesn't close and lock makes your home even more vulnerable to burglars.

Unusual Loud Noises

A little creaking is fine, but unusual sounds indicate a future problem or a weak component in your garage door assembly. A rattling sound due to shaking means that some parts are coming loose in your garage door. Wheels and tracks are the most culprits of the rattling noise. The longer your door produces rattling sounds, the more it knocks screws and other components loose. Loud engine noises mean your motor is working harder than it should, which is not normal.

Broken Tension Cables or Springs

Your garage door is probably heavier than you think as it smoothly rolls up and down. Tension mechanics in your garage door ensure it operates gracefully. The internal tension system slows down the closing of a door as an added safety feature.

Signs of a broken tension system include a garage door that slams shut. Anyone on the path can sustain life-altering injuries. If your vehicle is damaged, it will require serious, expensive bodywork repairs. Therefore, if your garage door seems to have lost its grace over the past few weeks, bring in professional help to inspect the tension cables and springs.

DIY repair work on a malfunctioning garage door is risky. A single mistake is all it takes for the door to crash your car, yourself, or even a family member. Therefore, you should get the problem solved quickly and safely by a garage door repair professional.