6 Most Common Garage Door Maintenance Issues And How To Fix Them

Table of Contents

1. Common Garage Door Maintenance Issues
2. Torsion Springs
3. Cables
4. Rollers
5. Jammed Hardware
6. Faulty Control Units
7. Faulty Remotes

Garage doors can last several years if they work right, but if they start having problems, it can be a nightmare to deal with. Even though they are based on a very simple mechanism, the fact that they hold up a lot of weight means all the components are exposed to a lot of stress and can easily be damaged. In many cases, garage door failure is caused because the components have simply worn out.

Common Garage Door Maintenance Issues

However, in some cases, this can be caused by a faulty installation or mechanical failure. Similarly, the external environment also plays a role in how your garage doors function. There are numerous causes for garage door failure, but just a handful of problems result from it. Here are some of the most common issues and what you can do to resolve them.

1. Torsion Springs

If you have a garage door that rolls upwards, then there is most likely some kind of spring mechanism that provides the force needed to pull them up when you open the garage. In some door systems, these can be installed at the top of the doors, in others, they might be located at the side or even at the base of the doors. Over time, these springs can start to lose tension. You will notice that it takes longer to open the doors or that the doors drop down quicker when you close the garage gate.

In extreme cases, the springs can snap and break, making it impossible to open or close the doors. In the case of weak or broken springs, your best option is to replace them with new ones.

2. Cables

Other than the springs, the cables connected to the doors also play a vital role in moving the garage doors. Usually, these cables are connected to the doors on one end and to the pulleys and springs on the other end. The force from the springs is transmitted through the cables, which help to move the garage doors.

These cables can also break, get tangled, or come undone from their connecting point. The result is that you cannot move the doors, or moving the doors becomes very difficult. According to the technicians at garage door repair Pasadena MD these cables can be reinstalled if they have been broken, however, if they are worn out, consider getting a new set. If you are upgrading the cables, consider getting steel cables rather than synthetic cables as they last longer and can withstand more tension.

3. Rollers

All this movement requires bearings and rollers. The springs, the pulleys, and cables are all rotating on a set of rollers. These rollers can chip and break around the circumference, which causes the gate to wobble or, in extreme cases, cause the gate not to move. In some cases, the rollers get damaged, in other situations, the bearings on which the rollers are installed can get damaged. Repairing the rollers is quite a technical job as it requires the entire system to be removed so that you can access the rollers.

Similarly, repacking or replacing the bearings requires the entire system to be removed to gain access. If you aren’t familiar with how this is done, then don’t attempt this yourself. This is a big repair job that will also risk the warranty of the product. Ideally, you should have a professional handle this part of the job.

4. Jammed Hardware

Sometimes the hardware can freeze due to rust, lack of lubrication, extreme snow, or mechanical failure. This is a very common issue in homes in extreme weather conditions. Any component in the gate can get jammed, so you must thoroughly review the entire system to find the fault. If you don’t know what to look for or where to look, this can be difficult to do, and you might be tinkering with perfectly fine things. The components in the garage door system are calibrated and installed with a lot of accuracy, and just poking around to see if it will budge could damage something that is already working fine.

This is why it would help to have an expert who can help you locate the cause of the issue and rectify the problem. Usually, frozen hardware doesn’t take too long to fix, but if it is due to mechanical failure, this can take some time to repair.

5. Faulty Control Units

Most garage doors these days are controlled by remote or through an app. These systems have a computer attached to them which is responsible for receiving and sending signals and controlling the connected hardware. Sometimes the computer can start having problems. This is usually due to a software problem, but it can also be due to interfering frequencies or faulty antennas. Have a professional take a look at the system and resolve the issue as you need specialized hardware and software to solve the problem.

6. Faulty Remotes

Sometimes the gate becomes completely unresponsive. If all the hardware is fine and the receiving unit on the system is also fine, then it can be an issue with the remote controllers. Usually, the motherboard on the controllers has become faulty, or the controller might just have a low battery. This is a very common issue, especially in homes where remote controls are used extensively. A simple controller repair should resolve the issue.

Garage doors might look simple, but there is a lot of hardware and even software operating in the background that is keeping the doors functional. The biggest challenge when facing any kind of problem is to diagnose exactly the issue. These tips will help you narrow down the potential problems the next time you have an issue. If it’s a basic issue, like a roller needs some grease, you can do that on your own. However, if it is a more complicated issue, get in touch with a professional, so you don’t hurt yourself and you get the job done right.

Thank you for reading!