Garage Door Acting Strange? 4 Malfunctions That Are Often Repairable

Many people never realize just how important a garage door is until it fails. If your garage door has been engaging in somewhat questionable behavior, you don’t need to panic. A malfunction with the door doesn't necessarily mean that a complete replacement is necessary.

Learn just some of the scenarios in which you may be able to avoid a replacement and find the solution you need in the form of a repair.

Door Vibrates When Moving

If your garage door vibrates or shakes as it moves along the track, this could be the result of damaged or worn lifting cables. Lifting cables are basically support devices that help with the process of lowering and raising the door along the track.

However, a garage door will not move as smoothly along the track when these cables are worn, which is the cause of the vibration you notice. Lifting cables are just one of the many components of a door that tend to wear from everyday use; however, corrosion may also be the culprit.

To ensure your safety, it's best to stop operating the door until you determine if the lift cables need to be replaced.

Door Won't Close

You're rushing out the door to get to work, and just before the door closes all the way, it stops and reopens. All modern garage door systems are designed with heightened safety measures that come in the form of photo eyes, the small devices located on each side of your garage door track.

Whenever the laser-like signal transmitted between these two lights is not aligned or not transmitting correctly, the door will not close. If one of the sensors is turned, realigning them will typically resolve the problem. However, if it's a wiring problem, you will need to contact a professional for assistance.

Door Makes Unusual Sounds

Silent isn't usually a word used to describe the operation of a garage door. However, although a door will make some level of noise, loud sounds aren't always normal. Particularly if you have an older door, the source of the problem could be damage to the tracks and not the door itself.

Like problems with lifting cables, if there are any imperfections along the course of the track, the garage door can't glide smoothly along the track. So each time it meets an imperfection like a dent or bend, you may hear a banging noise.

Door tracks can be damaged from a collision with a car or from pressure caused by storing heavy items directly on the top of the door tracks.

Door Closes and Opens Slowly

Another common yet typical repairable problem is slow operation. A leading reason for this issue are failed springs. Garage doors can easily weigh hundreds of pounds. Door springs balance this weight and lighten the load on the automatic door opener system.

When even one of the springs has failed, this will put more pressure on the automatic opener, which will result in a slower than normal operation. However, it will also increase the rate of wear on the opener system and introduce safety concerns.

The average door spring lasts somewhere between 7 and 12 years, so if your door is older than this, a spring could be to blame. Replacing the door spring is often the resolution. Most problems with garage doors are progressive. Sure, you might have a problem on your hands that you can repair today, but if you aren't proactive in your efforts to have the door repaired, a replacement may become your only option.

At Garage Door Factory, we are committed to meeting your repair needs as soon as possible. Call us at the first sign of a problem to determine if a repair or replacement is best for you.

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