Garage Door Repair – Signs That Your Garage Door Needs Replacing

Keeping your garage door in good working order can help to protect your vehicle and valuables from thieves. If the door becomes damaged, however, it can be a safety hazard for your family and can also allow unwanted pests into your home.

Dents and cracks can be repaired with fillers or replaced entirely with new panels. Worn springs are another common issue, but they can be dangerous to replace without the help of a professional. Contact Garage Door Repair Yukon for professional help.

Garage door panels aren’t just important for your home’s curb appeal, they’re essential for your garage’s function and safety. These panels provide insulation for your garage, protect the mechanics and mechanisms that control the opening and closing of the door, and ensure that your entire door can operate properly without damaging itself or other components. If you notice signs of damage on your garage door, it’s important to address them right away to prevent further problems or even structural damage to your house.

Damaged garage door panels can occur from a variety of sources. Incidental collisions with vehicles, sports balls or other objects can inflict dents and scratches on metal garage doors, while weathering of wood panels can cause them to warp and crack over time. If your garage is prone to impact damage, our garage door repair professionals may be able to help with a bit of filler and paint, but they will likely suggest you consider replacement options for any panels that are severely damaged or rusted through.

It’s common for homeowners to want to replace only the garage door panel that is damaged, but doing so can cause further damage to your door, compromise its functionality and put the structural integrity of your home in jeopardy. Garage door panels are designed and sized for specific models of garage doors, so by replacing only one panel you could be causing other parts of the garage door to wear out or become misaligned.

Replacing a single panel is also often less expensive than replacing your entire garage door, which is the best way to get your garage doors looking like new again and working properly. Choosing the best option will depend on your garage door’s current condition, as well as how long you have owned it.

Misaligned Tracks

Whether they’re horizontal or vertical, garage door tracks are vital to the smooth operation of your system. Inspecting them for signs of misalignment should be part of your regular maintenance routine. Visible gaps between the rollers and track are a telltale sign that the tracks have shifted out of their original position. This is a serious problem that requires immediate attention to prevent more significant problems down the road.

Tracks may become misaligned for a number of reasons, from accidental damage to general wear and tear. Typically, though, it’s the result of rust or corrosion. The metal track is often exposed to environmental elements like industrial salt spray and rain. If it’s not regularly cleaned, these substances will corrode the track and cause it to shift off-center.

In addition, daily use and the natural aging of the door can also lead to misalignment issues. If the garage door has been opened or closed many times over the years, the tracks will gradually shift out of alignment. Over time, this can cause the rollers to rub against the track and create a loud rubbing or scraping sound.

A garage door technician can easily realign the tracks for a smoother, more efficient system. They’ll start by loosening the track bolts and gently tapping the track sections with a rubber mallet or wood block to get them back into their proper positions. Once they’re properly aligned, the technician will tighten the track bolts and re-secure the brackets.

If the tracks have been severely damaged or corroded, they may need to be replaced entirely. Replacing the track will restore your garage door’s smooth, trouble-free movement and extend its lifespan.

Loose Mounting Brackets

Garage doors have a lot of hidden parts that work together to make the door function. Many of these parts are subject to regular wear and tear and might need a repair at some point. One such part is the garage door bracket, which can cause issues with the door’s functioning if it becomes loose or damaged.

It’s not uncommon for the mounting brackets that hold the tracks in place to become loose over time. This can be due to normal wear and tear or from a lack of proper lubrication, which is important for smooth operation. When the track mounts are loose, they can shift and become warped or bent, which will make the door more difficult to open and close.

When the brackets are loose, they can also pull away from the wall and create a gap. This can lead to further damage to the hinges, which may need to be replaced. The bolts or screws that hold the brackets can also become loose, which could also make the tracks move out of alignment.

The other thing that can happen with the brackets is that they can rust or corrode over time, which will also affect how well the tracks are aligned. The metal can also break down, which will reduce the lifespan of the garage door. If you notice any rust or corrosion, it’s a good idea to replace the brackets, as they can be quite dangerous if the garage door is used.

When the brackets are loose, you should first shut off the power to the garage door opener to prevent any accidents. Next, you should loosen the bolts or screws that secure the brackets, then carefully tap them back into place with a rubber mallet. If you find any enlarged screw holes, use a drill to widen the hole and replace the old screws with new ones that are the same size. Finally, you should fill the cracks with wood filler and let it dry before replacing the hinge. Lastly, you should test the door to ensure it is properly aligned and that there are no side gaps.

Broken Cables

Garage doors are complex mechanical systems, relying on many parts to function properly. While the springs bear the majority of the weight, cables help to distribute the load and ensure that doors open and close evenly. As such, broken cables can significantly impact the overall operation of a home’s garage door and may pose a safety hazard. Fortunately, there are tell-tale signs that indicate it’s time to replace your garage door cables.

The first sign that your garage door cables are in need of replacement is slack in the cable. As your garage door rises and lowers, it puts strain on the cable, pulling it to one side. Eventually, this pull can cause the cable to break.

While age and normal wear-and-tear are the most common causes of cable failure, water or moisture near the bottom of the garage door, corrosion, damaged pulley bearings, and improper track alignment can also stress or degrade your cables. If you notice any of these issues, contact a garage door repair professional for prompt and reliable service.

Whether your garage door uses extension or torsion springs, there are two types of garage door cables: lift cables and retaining cables. Lift cables are installed on garage doors with torsion springs and run vertically along each side of the door. They facilitate the lifting of the door by connecting to the torsion springs above it. In addition, the cables help to prevent the springs from flying or falling off if they break.

In contrast, retaining cables accompany extension spring-based systems. The retaining cables keep the broken end of the spring in place, preventing it from falling off or creating hazards around the door.

To replace your lift cable, start by opening the garage door as wide as possible and setting a ladder under it. Next, grab a pair of locking pliers and clamp them onto the track on each side of the door, just below the last roller. This will prevent the garage door from lowering unexpectedly and potentially damaging your items or injuring you. Once the slack in the cable is removed, locate the pin on the bottom of the door where it meets the track and remove it. After removing the ladder and clamps, hook the looped end of the new cable to this pin, following precisely the same path as the old cable. Once the cable is attached, repeat the process on the other side of the door. Once the cable is reconnected, the ladder and clamps can be removed and you can test the operation of your garage door.