A malfunctioning garage door can jeopardize your daily routine. While it may seem alluring to put on your ‘technician’ hats and try to fix a faulty garage door on your own, certain repairs should only be done by professionals. Having said that, it does not mean laypersons should never try fixing their inoperative garage doors, as some problems have easy breezy solutions.
Furthermore, while certain repairs are dangerous to attempt sans adequate training and experience, there are several others that you can try on your own. So, without further ado, let us go through some typical garage door repairs you can attempt at home.
Top 5 Common Garage Door Repairs That You Can DIY
- Your Garage is Noisy – One of the most common garage door problems that afflict the people of Canada is a noisy garage door. Rattling or squeaking garage doors result from worn-out rollers or jammed metal parts that need lubrication. If you notice mainly rattling or clattering sounds while closing or opening your garage door, it is possible to opt for an easy DIY fix. All you have to do is tighten the garage door’s hardware, including its hinges and nuts and bolts. Be meticulous in tightening the various parts of the door, and ensure you do not overtight any hardware. Consequently, if there are most squeaking sounds, spray the springs, roller bearings, and lift cables with a good quality lubricant. Make sure to continue the process every two or three to increase the longevity of your garage door. It is essential to point out that nylon rollers without bearings do not need lubrication, which can damage the roller.
- Water Leakage – If you find that water is leaking from your garage roof, there is a probability that the weatherstripping has been chewed off animals or has depreciated from prolonged usage. You can repair the damaged weather stripping at home sans any professional assistance and seal it to prevent leakage. All you have to do is pull off the old weather stripping, measure and cut the new weather stripping, and then place it on end. The ultimate step is to install a new threshold and doorstop.
- Your Garage Door Does Not Close All the Way – At times, your garage door might not close all the way, as there may be a glitch with the photo eye. For those who are unaware, the photo eye is a safety feature of garage doors that utilize infrared technology to prevent the door from closing on a person, pet, or other objects. If the photo eyes are not aligned properly or blocked, your garage door will stop closing before it reaches the floor. The way to recognize the problem is to observe the light on the garage door opener, as it will blink frantically when the photo eyes are hampered. The problem has an at-home solution; all you have to do is adjust the pivot brack so the photo eyes are parallel. Consequently, make sure that nothing is blocking or obstructing the photo eyes’ infrared beams.
- Worn Out Finish – All things, including machines, age and depreciate with time. The impact of wear and tear is seen not only on your garage door’s functioning but also on its finish. Likewise, weather conditions and the garage door’s material can also pale its finesse. However, it is a problem that you can fix at home. You can refinish your garage door by stripping off the old paint with a power washer and then with chemicals if required. After that, you can start to paint the exterior of the doors and finally apply a weather sealer. And Viola, your garage door will look as good as new! However, choose a bright, rainy, and dry day for the task.
- Your Garage Door is Dirty – An unkempt and messy garage door means that it is not regularly maintained, which can result in poor functioning and decrease its overall life expectancy. The crux of the matter is that you do not need professionals to clean the exterior surfaces of your garage door. All you require is gentle soap and a wet cloth or sponge to wash the door. Then, make sure to rinse the door thoroughly with clean water. Likewise, if your garage door is made of steel, then make sure to apply spray-on car wax to the surface twice a year to protect the door from corrosive salt air.
So, there we have it, the top five common garage door repairs that you can DIY at home. While repairing garage doors at home, it is essential to be vigilant and careful and take extra precautions. Moreover, there are certain garage door glitches, which are best left to professionals. So now, let us look at the two garage door problems only experts should fix.
Two garage door repairs that require professional help
The Garage Door Spring is Broken
A broken garage door spring is one type of repair you should not meddle with at home. The first indication that your garage door is broken is often the startling sound of a loud bang coming from the garage. Garage door springs are made to handle massive weight, and when they break, the spring unwinds in a fraction of a second, creating a loud noise due to the coils spinning inside the shaft. Other clues that your garage door spring is broken include –
- The garage door opens a few inches, but it stops just before reaching the top and will not budge after that
- The top section of the garage door is bent
Most of Edmonton’s garage door repair and replacement services help fix garage door springs.
Your Garage Door is Sagging
In case you have an old-fashioned garage door that swings up and slides back, chances are that it may have started to sag in the middle when it is up and resting. Unfortunately, the problem has no repair, and even professionals cannot be of much help. The only way out is to replace your garage door with a new one. You can find various reliable and pocket-friendly services to replace your old garage doors and install a new one.