Your garage door serves as the entrance point of your home. A malfunctioning garage door that opens automatically allows people to get inside and access your private property. Sometimes, the doors close partially, giving intruders an opportunity to fetch whatever they can get their hands on. The most common sign that a garage door is malfunctioning is its rough movement. Your doors must open and close smoothly when you press the remote or manually open the doors. If they get stuck in the middle or lose balance, that indicates a problem.
The first thing that crosses our mind when it comes to a garage door problem is calling a technician. And while that’s a viable idea, there are other easy and effective ways to fix a malfunctioning garage door.
Before you seek a professional for repairs, try adjusting your garage doors by following these quick steps. Let’s take a look.
Conduct a Thorough Inspection
Many moving components work together to ensure the smooth and seamless operation of your garage doors. It includes a track, springs, a pair of rollers, a top rail, and sensors. To find a reliable solution, you need to understand the root cause of the problem. Is it the worn set of springs that won’t support the garage doors’ weight? Or, have the pair of rollers come loose? The problem could be with the track.
You need to check each component, especially the track. If there’s dirt accumulated on the track or springs, wipe it with a cleaning solution. You can use an automotive brake cleaner if the tracks are filled with stubborn debris. Vacuum the tracks to sweep the dirt and dust away, and then try opening and closing the doors again. If that doesn’t fix the problem and your tracks look warped, you are going to have to call a professional. The tracks might need replacement.
Check Springs
If the tracks look fine, grab a ladder and check the springs. Springs bear the weight of the door, so if they are worn, your doors won’t stay stable. The springs are located above the garage doors parallel to the rim, and there might be two of them depending on the size and weight of the door. Torsion springs (used on taller and heavier doors) need professionals. You must work on them while they are handling your doors. Side-mounted springs are located on each side of the track. If you have these, you can repair them on your own. Here’s how.
Adjust the Springs
Does your garage door open way too fast than usual? Or does it shut slowly and unevenly? You need to reduce spring tension to fix the problem. If the door closes fast and opens slowly, the spring tension needs to be increased. While working on the springs, make sure you turn off the power supply (if it’s an automatic door) to avoid the door closing on you. Place locking pliers under rollers to secure your door and hold them in place while you are working.
Unbolt the hook that connects the spring to the track. Before that, make sure there’s no tension in each spring. You can use a wrench to unbolt the hook. The hook determines the tension in the spring. If it’s moved to a lower hole, the springs will have less tension. To increase the tension, move these springs to the upper hole. Check for any gaps on either side of the door and see if both spring hooks are adjusted in the same way.
Check If It’s Working Now
You must move the spring one hole above or below the current position and check the tension. Once you have made adjustments, remove the clamps beneath the roller and close the door. Does it fix the problem? If not, you can try moving the spring hooks up and down by following the above steps.
If it still doesn’t fix the problem, your best bet is to make adjustments to the cable inside the springs. As you extend and shorten the length of the cable, the spring tension will increase and decrease accordingly. It’s best to leave this to a professional, as they are familiar with the spring and cable issues and can fix them effortlessly.
Use Your Door
The above steps will help you fix the tension in the springs and adjust it depending on how your door functions. Once you are done working on the door’s moving parts, remove the clamps, locking pliers, or whatever you used to hold the rollers in place. Turn on the power supply to activate the door opener and open and close it to see if it works well. If you still experience the problem, perhaps there is a bigger issue than simple tension in springs. You may have to call a technician who has experience in working with garage doors.
More Tips!
The spring tension affects your garage door motor. High spring tension or tight springs means the door will close slowly, and the motor might have to work harder to shut it down properly. That also means the door will open quickly. When setting the tension on the springs, your goal should be to strike a perfect balance so that the door opens and closes with the same strength and at the same pace. This will take the pressure off the motor, ensuring a balanced and seamless door operation.
There’s also a chance your garage doors are experiencing other problems. Possibly, your garage door might open only a few inches and then shut down abruptly. This indicates a problem with the sensor, located at the bottom of the door near its closing. These sensors are supposed to detect an object or a living thing that might come in the way of closing. The sensor activates a reverse mechanism that pushes the door up if it detects something on the floor. You must also inspect the track and sweep any dirt or debris away. Carry out regular inspections and keep your garage door in good condition to avoid expensive repairs.