Your garage doors, whether up and over garage doors, sectional garage doors, or side-hinged garage doors are an essential part of your home or business, providing security, protection of the property, and convenience.
But, garage doors do sometimes break for a variety of common reasons, especially if they're not high-quality, not regularly serviced, if they're misused or if they're simply old and worn out.
In this short blog post, we look at 5 of the most common ways garage doors break and offer some basic ways of preventing these breakdowns to help your garage doors go on performing year after year.
One of the most frequent issues with up and over garage doors involves the springs. Typically, an up and over garage door will have two types of springs, torsion springs above the door, and extension springs at the sides.
These springs help the door lift smoothly and with little effort, but, they do deteriorate over time, leading to malfunctioning and sometimes breaking altogether, which as well as being inconvenient can be dangerous.
Regular maintenance is the key to preventing spring problems with your garage door. So, make sure to lubricate the springs regularly, also make sure to check for serious corrosion etc. And, if necessary, get a garage door professional to replace damaged springs as soon as possible.
Modern garage doors, whether up and over, side-hinged or sectional garage doors, are often equipped with special safety sensors that prevent the door from closing if an object or person is in the way.
In good quality garage doors these sensors will be robust, but, if dirt or debris is allowed to accumulate or the sensors are misaligned, they can malfunction causing the door to jam or reverse unexpectedly.
To help prevent issues with garage door sensors, get a garage door specialist to check and correct alignment if needed, and don't forget to regularly inspect the sensors and make sure to keep them free from dirt and debris.
Garage doors often operate along a set of tracks on each side of the door. These tracks must remain properly aligned for the door to open smoothly, and to prevent the door from jamming open or closed.
Over time, garage door tracks can become misaligned for various reasons, such as loose components like bolts or brackets, or due to accidents, such as a collision from a vehicle or another object.
Inspect the tracks regularly, checking for any signs of misalignment, such as gaps or obvious rubbing noises. Tighten bolts and make sure to keep the tracks clean and free from dirt and debris build-up.
Garage door openers are essential for the automatic operation of many garage doors. However, there are a range of issues that can cause issues with garage door openers, especially on low-quality or un-serviced garage doors.
Issues with garage door openers can include electrical failures, damaged gears, or worn-out motor components. These problems may cause the garage door to stick or jam open or closed.
Test your garage door opener regularly to ensure it's functioning properly, replace batteries in remote controls, and be sure to see to any unusual noises or behaviour promptly, that might point to something serious.
The panels of your garage door, whether you have an up and over, side-hinged or sectional garage door, can be vulnerable to damage from various factors, such as accidents, extreme weather, or general wear and tear.
Damaged panels not only affect the door's appearance, they can also compromise its structural integrity, which in some cases will affect the automated operation or the ease with which it can be opened and closed manually.
Remember, be cautious when using your garage door, and especially when approaching it with your vehicle. Also, regularly inspect it for signs of corrosion or damage caused by various weather conditions.
Looking for a garage door specialist in the UK? Then look no further than Garage Doors Ltd., one of the UKs leading providers, installers and repairers of all types of garage doors, including high-security garage doors for domestic and commercial uses.
