What Are the Signs That Your Garage Door Needs Repair?

How to Tell If Your Garage Door Needs Repair

Thieves can break into your place through any opening they can exploit, and your garage door is one of them. But are you making sure that it is working as it should?

Here are some of the signs that you need residential or commercial garage door repair.

It is making a lot of noise

You are probably familiar with the sound your garage door motor makes, which is usually soft and regular. But if there are new sounds when you open or close the garage door, or the typical door motor sound has grown more wrenching and aggressive, you might need to have it repaired.

The most severe issue that can cause this is a damaged motor. Service persons might be able to make some adjustments to fix it, but getting a replacement can be the likeliest solution. Another common issue is when the service person says that the motor is running fine. In which case, the springs may only need lubrication.

You cannot lift it manually

Automatic garage doors are supposed to lift itself, but you should be able to lift it manually as well. The springs in the garage door are designed to make it easier for you to manually lift the door. So if you could not lift your garage door, it means that the springs are starting to fail. The solution to this would be a basic spring replacement.

It does not immediately respond to the remote

Automatic garage doors are so convenient because you can operate them with a remote control. But if you are starting to notice that it is not responding very well to your remote, or it’s getting sluggish or you need to press the button several times before responding, the cause is either dead batteries or remote malfunction. You would only have to replace dead batteries. And if the problem is with the remote, it can be easily repaired, although getting a replacement may be the best solution.

It is uneven or sagging

If one side of your garage door seems lower than the other, especially when you see it halfway closed, its balance alignment might be off. This can be an indicator that one spring is getting a lot more worn than the other spring. An overly worn spring can snap and cause damage to your property or injury to your family. It could also put more strain on your garage door motor, which will be more expensive to fix than only realigning your garage door.

Rising electricity bill

Garage doors are always on, so they can raise your electricity bill if they are not functioning properly. Try checking the weather sealant around the garage door first, since, over time, it can become inefficient at keeping an airtight seal for your garage. If it seems to have worn out, you can easily replace the weather stripping with a new and more energy-efficient weather sealing.

Your energy bills could also increase due to a consistently malfunctioning garage door. If it takes more time for your door to close, for example, or if it is stalling before it can fully shut, your garage door could be letting out all of the hot or cool air every time you use it. In this case, you need to have it inspected by a professional.

While you can repair a lot of these issues by yourself, it would be better to have your garage door checked and fixed by professionals or service people. How to Keep Your Garage Clean During the Summer