Common Garage Door Problems

Your garage door goes up and down every day. The average person opens and closes their garage door three to five times a day, which translates to about 1,500 times a year. What happens when you have garage door issues?

Take a look at these common garage door problems, so you know what to look for when troubleshooting your garage door and how to fix it.

1. Worn-Out Springs

Your garage door is balanced by torsion springs or extension springs with pulleys and cables. These springs cause a counterforce to the weight of the doors so it is lifted or lowered. These springs are under constant pressure and will wear out.

When your garage door starts struggling to open, check to see if it is heavy to lift by hand. If so, this means the springs are starting to wear out and you need to replace them.

Be careful about trying to replace springs on your own. These springs are under great pressure and can easily cause injury if you don’t do it properly.

2. Noisy Garage Door

Is your garage door sound louder than normal? Listen for certain noises.

If your garage sounds like it is rattling, this may mean there are some loose bolts, screws, or nuts on your garage door. Try tightening the hardware with a wrench and socket set.

Do you hear squeaking or grinding? This means that your rollers either need lubricated or are simply worn out. Try applying a grease that is either lithium or silicone-based for lubrication first.

If you hear loud popping noises, this can mean your torsion spring may need to be adjusted or lubricated. This is very dangerous, so you should probably call a professional if you hear a popping noise.

3. Faulty Garage Door Opener

If your garage door won’t open, take a look at your batteries in your opener, and inspect the keypad. If you replace the battery and all looks good, move to the opener unit. If the lights don’t work, then the motor is disconnected from its power supply, a fuse is blown, or the circuit breaker is tripped.

If there is a power supply and the opener is not working, you may need to have a professional check it out or get a new opener.

4. Garage Door Opens Too Slow or Closes Too Fast

As we talked about above, garage doors have springs or cables that help them close, usually gradually. If these cables break, there is no support and the door will fall shut. If this is the case, you should contact a professional because dealing with the springs is dangerous.

If it takes a longer than normal time for your garage door to open, you may need to either clean the tracks or lubricate the rollers.

5. Moving Unevenly

As you watch your door open, does it shimmy when it closes or opens?  There may be something blocking its tracks. As you start troubleshooting your garage door, wipe the tracks and also look for any obstructions.

If this doesn’t work, it could possibly be one of the springs—extension or torsion springs. When garage doors don’t move evenly, there may be too little or too much tension on one side. 

Fixing Common Garage Door Problems

As you can see, you may be able to fix some of these common garage door problems. However, if there is anything wrong with the springs, you should leave it to the professionals. 

Looking for more home advice? Keep checking out our site for more informative articles on your home and maintenance.