Automatic garage doors have made our lives so easy. All we need to do is press a button on the remote control and the door opens and shuts, while we sit in the car. However, what to do if the garage door gets stuck? You can call an expert for help, but that would mean waiting for him to turn and then spending a lot of money on his fees. Instead, you can solve the problem on your own if you know how to fix garage door.
Read through this article to know what problems you may face with the garage door and some simple tips on fixing the problems. Most of the problems such as missing or broken hinges can be fixed by simply replacing these parts, which is very easy to do. Here are some useful tips to fix garage doors:
- Check the metal tracks and the mounting brackets, which hold these tracks, inside the garage. If you find that they have become loose, you need to tighten them with a screwdriver.
- Examine the tracks for any dents or flat spots; do this with the door closed. If you find any damaged areas, pound them using a hammer. If the damage is considerable, you might even have to replace the parts.
- Check the alignment of the tracks with a level. If you have horizontal tracks, they should be slanting down towards the back of the garage, while the vertical tracks should be plumb. If the tracks are not aligned, loosen the screws and tap the tracks till they are in position.
- Use some household cleaner to clean the dirt and grime in the tracks and then wipe hem dry using a cloth or rag.
- Lubricate the tracks and the rollers; also lubricate the pulleys using the same lubricant spray or oil that you used on the tracks and rollers.
- Checks for any loose screws at the plates on swing-up doors and at the hinges on roll-up doors; tighten them if necessary.
- The next important thing is to check the springs. Move the hook of the spring to the next hole or notch to adjust the tension in case of swing-up doors. For roll-up doors, you can adjust the tension by pulling the cable through the plate above the door and then maintain the tension by knotting it again.
Here are some more quick-fixes to the problems most commonly faced by people:
- The power to the garage is shut, preventing the door from opening. In this case you can pull the manual override, which is cord with a red handle hanging from the guide track. You can now temporarily open and shut the door manually, till you get a permanent fix done.
- The door has frozen out because of cold weather. Check and adjust the pressure adjustments for raising and lowering the door to ensure smooth working of the garage door.
- The garage door is sagging and getting harder to open. Sagging doors can be fixed with tension rods that can be positioned at the back of the door. These rods are easily available in market.
- The garage door does not lock. You can fix this problem by realigning the two horizontal bars that lock the door in place. These bars move from the centre of the door in the slots at the side of the door.
Sometimes the problem is not with the garage door but with the opener. In this case you will have to replace the opener.
Tips & Warnings
- Test and replace the batteries in the remote control at least once in a year.
- Also check if it opens and closes smoothly and that the safety features, as described in the manual, are working properly.
- Inspect the tracks and the doors at regular intervals so ensure that debris, dirt and grime do not come in the way of smooth functioning of the garage door.
- Lubricate the roller shaft and bearings at least twice a year and make sure all screws in the door are screwed tightly.
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