Common Garage Door Problems

Technically Reviewed by Oleg Chudnovski on Nov 21, 2023 | Written by Olga Larina

Garage doors have a very simple life. You raise it, then lower, raise and lower again and again… And after years of repeated use, the garage door suddenly stops working as it should. Luckily, all garage doors are usually relatively easy to fix due to their not complicated operation. However, the most reliable doors can get dusty over time and require major repairs or replacements.

Many homeowners constantly call us to repair or replace their doors themselves or their moving parts. And often, it is caused by issues that could have been prevented with diagnostics and seasonal maintenance done on time. Thus, our garage door technicians at Fix Garage Doors CA prepared a list of the most common garage door problems upon their own experience.

Troubleshooting and Basic Maintenance Tips for Doors and Garage Door Openers

If your garage door is working properly right now, you can keep it running almost indefinitely if you follow simple checks and maintenance. These basic garage door troubleshooting tips can also fix common garage problems that have recently occurred:

• Check the garage door rollers and rails. If you don’t remember the last time you cleaned them, now is a good time to give the rollers and rails a good scrub and clean and lubricate the rollers and axles. Roller bearings can also wear out, so replace any rollers that aren’t running smoothly.
• Fasten the components. The track that guides the rollers on the overhead garage door is mounted in sections and secured to the garage with brackets. Ensure the sections are securely attached, and the screws and bolts securing the brackets are tight.
• Check the cables and pulleys. Cast garage doors have cables and pulleys that may wear out over time. Frayed cables, damaged pulleys, and circuit breakers are best left to professionals.
• Check the balance of the door. The garage door should be able to move up and down with a few pounds of pressure. If the springs are worn out and have lost their elasticity, the electric garage door opener may have to work extra hard due to the heavy lifting door. This can quickly damage the opening motor. Replacing worn torsion springs is usually the job of a professional technician.
• Try the automatic reverse function of the door opener. The garage door particular opener is designed to automatically reverse and lift the door if it encounters an obstruction on its way to the floor. If this function no longer works properly, a heavy door can be a safety hazard, and the door opener should be repaired or replaced. Besides, pay attention to the motor that should be inspected for any issues.

If none of these solutions can solve your problem or if you prefer to let someone else deal with the door, consider calling a good garage door repair technician at Fix Garage Doors CA for quality garage door repair services, including garage door opener repair.

The Most Common Garage Door Problems

As far as everything is running like clockwork, you may overlook the garage door and its various components at ease. But keep in mind that routine diagnostics & maintenance services and garage door repairs from time to time will help keep it in working condition. In most cases, fixing outspread garage door issues is usually not difficult to do as a DIY project, though you can have no previous mechanical or electrical knowledge and experience. However, we insist on not doing this.

Most homeowners can handle these issues themselves, but serious garage door problems, including broken rollers or springs, should be left only to experts. If the damage is more severe than expected, the garage door system may need to be fixed.

Here we’d like to focus on the most widely-faced problems with garage doors that require expert aid to avoid either serious damage to the door or injuring yourself:

Few Useful Tips on How to Repair Garage Doors

You know that any garage door system has many components, but the main is the garage door itself and the door opener. Let us remind you that any overhead garage door works on spring tension, whether they roll up in sections or swing up in one piece. Thus, we have set up the main tips for repairing your garage door:
Check the tracks inside. Inspect the mounting brackets; tighten the bolts or screws if they are loose. Besides, examine them for flat areas, dents, and kinks or flat areas. If the damage is severing, replace the tracks.
Check the metal tracks with a level for proper alignment. Horizontal tracks should have a slight downward slope towards the back of the garage; in roller doors, the vertical sections of the path must be strictly vertical in roller doors. If the tracks are not aligned as they should be, loosen the screws and carefully drive them into position. Double-check the tracks with a level to make sure they are set in.
Remove any dirt and grease. Clean the track-and-roller system and wipe it dry.
Check for loose hardware on all garage door parts. Check and tighten if necessary: plates where the spring is mounted on swing-up doors; hinges on roll-up doors. If the hinges have been damaged, replace them with new ones.

Diagnostics, repairs and maintenance of garage doors and openers in Toronto and GTA

Regarding garage door repair, leaving it to the experts is important. It can be hazardous to address all these things on your own. You can carelessly put your life or the life of someone else in jeopardy when you start working with a heavy garage door or even trying to make diagnostics by yourself. Although you may find many videos and blog pages online with DIY garage door repair advice, we recommend leaving it to the garage specialists.

Moreover, qualified garage door repair will become a big timesaver in keeping your garage door open and closing. Whether an aspect of the operating mechanism has become damaged through wear and tear, or the door system or its parts have structural damage, calling a professional garage door expert to do repairs is a must.

At Fix Garage Doors CA in Toronto, our specialist team of garage door technicians with approximately twenty years of experience in this business deals with almost every common garage door problem you can imagine.
Considering a wealth of hands-on expertise plus in-depth knowledge of our garage door pros, it implies that you may trust the qualified repair and excellent garage door service in Toronto and GTA areas with abandon. Request a service with Fix Garage Doors CA and receive same-day service for sure, as most common problems can be resolved in no time.