Tips On How To Troubleshoot Garage Door Malfunctions

By Mattie Knight


If your garage door has a problem, it is important that you do repairs before the problem worsens. The most convenient way of handling garage door malfunctions is, of course, to contact garage door repair Davie FL experts. However, if you understand the basic mechanism of how your garage door operates, you can resolve some minor issues on your own. A typical car port opening system consists of two basic components: the door itself, and the opening mechanism. Either of these can get damaged at any time, though majority of malfunctions tend to be associated with the door.

Overhead garage doors either roll up to open, or swing up as a whole. In either case, it is helpful to know how the opening process takes place. In most systems, there are metal tracks located on each side wall of the car port. The gate moves along these tracks, powered by heavy springs that are located around the tracks. These types of gates can get worn and damaged over time due to frequent use.

The most common problem is also the easiest to fix: the mounting brackets that hold the metal tracks against the wall often come loose, preventing the door from moving along the track. Check each bracket, and if any are wobbly, simply tighten the bolts that hold the brackets jointly.

Inspect the car port doors interior section for any hardware damage. Dents, distortions or rust on the metal tracks or the door mechanism itself can be the cause of the malfunction. Rust can be cleaned up with an appropriate cleaning solution, while minor dents and distortions can be repaired using a rubber mallet. If you are not comfortable doing these, you should contact a professional servicing company for assistance.

The area behind the garage door mechanism often houses metal tracks that slant in a horizontal or vertical direction depending on the type of gate you use. These metal tracks often run along both side walls, and should be aligned evenly in order for the gateway mechanism to function properly. If they are not at the same angle or position, this can result in a malfunction. Uneven tracks can be re-aligned by unscrewing the mounting brackets and adjusting the tracks as necessary before re-mounting them.

Every piece of hardware that is associated with the car port opening system should be inspected for tightness. If you notice any loose screws and bolts, tighten them with a screwdriver, as they may be contributing to the malfunction.

If your gate swings up in order to open. Find the strip and examine it to ensure that there are no loose bolts. Tightening the loose bolts is essential because it will help you save time and money.

If the gate is not balancing well during opening, causing one side to sag while the other side is opening properly, this may be due to a problem with the hinges. If the hinges themselves are damaged, they may require replacement. If the wood surrounding the hinge is cracked, it may need to be filled in, in order to hold the hinge snugly. If you are unable to locate or resolve the malfunction, or do not wish to trouble yourself with it, you can always contact a service company and have a professional work out the problem for you.




About the Author: