Garage doors can be dangerous things. If they’re in tip-top working order, you’re unlikely to lose a limb, but start fiddling around with a damaged door and you could be putting yourself at serious risk. While there are some repairs you can handle yourself, don’t try and tackle any of these five issues.
Broken/stretched springs
Torsion and extension springs won’t last a lifetime, you’ll probably have to replace them every five to seven years, depending on how much you use your garage. See, what happens is torsion springs lose tension little by little until they break, and extension springs can get stretched out over time. Both of these issues can throw your garage door off balance and become a serious safety risk.
A broken TORSION spring
A stretched EXTENSION spring
Broken/frayed lifting cables
Like torsion and extension springs, lifting cables can become damaged over time. As they are the link between the bottom of the garage door and the spring system, they are under very high tension corresponding to the door’s weight, so having one break could cause the door to fall! Common causes are misaligned drums, causing the cables to rub against the grooves rather than be guided by them, and cables that aren’t thick enough to support the garages weight.
Broken lifting cable
Misaligned horizontal
Another issue that could cause the garage door to fall are misaligned horizontal tracks. The tracks should be attached to the ceiling directly onto wood using a metal right angle. If they’re not properly attached, over time vibrations from the door can cause the door tracks to become misaligned.
Misaligned horizontal tracks
Broken or stripped door opener gear and sprocket
Some garage door opener parts are made from a strong, durable plastic, which under some conditions, such as if the drive chain is putting too much pressure on it, can become worn down and break, like the gear in the motor. In other causes, breakages are caused by lower-quality materials that cannot life heavy weights.
A door opener gear that needs to be replaced
And finally, worn rollers
Rollers vary in quality depending on how they are made, for example the more ball bearings, the more durable the roller. However, there are rollers that don’t contain ball bearings that are also durable. If you have a double door, you should have long-stem rollers installed in double hinges. Often, problems arise because people with double doors don’t have these rollers installed. Additionally, if you leave the garage door open for extended periods of time, the weight of the door could cause them to wear out.
Worn‑out roller
Never, ever attempt any of these repairs yourself, you could be putting your safety at a serious risk.
Always work with a professional for these repairs. In fact, why not contact us at 519-326-5888? We’re more than happy to help. We can even provide you with a quotation for a new garage door if yours is unrepairable.
If you are looking for a new door, why not see what the finished product would look like by using our Design Centre tool. If you’re not sure what style you’d like, browse through our image gallery.
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