Common Garage Door Problems and How to Fix Them

HomeUncategorizedCommon Garage Door Problems and How to Fix Them
May 4, 2023
1 Comment
BY Venus

Common Garage Door Problems and How to Fix Them

As one of the technicians at Venus Garage Door & Gate who sees all kinds of garage door issues, I wanted to write up some of the most common problems we come across to help homeowners troubleshoot problems on their own. Garage doors can start acting up over time with regular wear and tear, but don't worry - many problems can be fixed with some basic DIY skills and garage door maintenance every 6 months or so.

Track Issues Causing a Stuck Door

One very common issue we see is garage doors that get stuck halfway open or closed. Often, this is an issue with the metal tracks that guide your door. The tracks can get bent out of shape or become misaligned, causing the rollers to bind.
Start by inspecting the tracks inside your garage. Make sure they are well aligned with no kinks. The vertical sections should be plumb with the door. The horizontal sections should slope slightly down toward the back for proper drainage. If they look bent, you can try gently tapping them back into proper alignment with a rubber mallet.
Also check that the rollers or wheels ride smoothly within the tracks with no excessive side-to-side play. If the garage door rollers are worn out with flat spots or cracked in pieces, they will need to be replaced. This is a cheap, easy repair anyone can do – just tap out the old fasteners, pop in new rollers, and reinstall.
If the tracks look okay but your door still sticks, the next thing to check is track lubrication. Use a garage door track lubricant made specifically for overhead doors, which contains anti-friction additives. Apply it to the entire track length according to directions. This cuts down on metal-on-metal grinding.
And of course, always make sure objects like tools or bikes aren’t obstructing the door’s path!

Broken or Stretched Garage Door Springs

Problems with garage door springs account for the vast majority of non-working overhead doors. Your springs do an incredible amount of work, lifting and lowering that heavy door again and again. Eventually they wear out and break.
Fortunately, DIY-savvy homeowners can replace their own broken torsion springs with the right tools and preparations. Torsion springs mount horizontally above the top of your garage door. They create continuous tension to lift the doors via torque energy. These springs tend to have a 10,000 cycle lifespan.
The other spring variety often found on garage doors are extension springs. As the name implies, they run vertically above the horizontal tracks, “extending” and contracting as your door moves. They typically last around 5,000 open/close cycles.
No matter which spring type you have, it's not recommended amateurs try replacing them. They handle dangerous levels of tension and can cause severe injuries if handled incorrectly. Instead, have a professional garage door company adjust, repair, or replace them for you.
For DIYers replacing their own torsion springs, use extreme care and follow tutorial videos closely. Purchase high quality replacement springs made specifically for your door’s size and model. Have helpers, proper tools, and PPE equipment on hand. Always remember – springs, cables, rollers, and hardware pieces like roller shafts are under ridiculous tension when a door is open. One wrong move can lead to serious harm.

Sensors Not Lining Up So Door Won't Close

Garage door safety sensors prevent doors from closing when objects are underneath them. If these don't line up correctly, they will fail to transmit signals and the door refuses to shut all the way.
Start by visually checking your sensors. Look for cracks, damage, loose parts, etc. Check alignments too - they should sit no higher than 6 inches off the ground, on either side of the door opening. The "sending eye" emits an invisible infrared beam to the "receiving eye" directly across the way. If something breaks that beam, closing is stopped immediately.
Use the indicator LED lights on sensors to troubleshoot further. If sensors get bumped out of position, you'll see a flashing LED indicating signal loss. Gently twist or tap sensors back into proper alignment until LEDs show solid again, meaning the infrared beam has been restored.
The wiring up to openers should also be inspected for frays or disconnects if sensors misbehave. Verify wires are securely plugged into opener power units. Damaged wires in the wall can lead to intermittent sensor signal losses.

Why Your Garage Door Opener Clicks But Door Doesn't Open

Here’s a common garage door problem we often hear - the electric opener clicks when buttons are pressed, but doors don’t budge an inch. What gives?
The issue is almost always broken drive gears made of plastic or metal inside openers. These gear sets are comprised of a driving gear mounted to the rotor shaft, idler gears, chain sprockets, and more. If one or more get stripped due to age and use, the “clicked” opener motor may spin freely but no motion translates to your garage door.
Carefully open up the opener casing and inspect all gears closely, spinning rotor shafts by hand to check connections. See if a gear spins while axles sit motionless, or vice versa. Head to a home improvement store to identify and purchase a replacement gear that matches original factory specs. Swap in the new gear, being sure everything lines back up correctly. This should have your opener driving properly again.

Why Does My Garage Door Make Squeaking, Creaking Noises?

That loud squeal every time your garage door opens or closes gets embarrassing, doesn’t it? Fortunately, a little detective work and DIY maintenance can eliminate noisy garage door operations.
Start by applying garage door lubricant we mentioned earlier. Generously coat track surfaces so rollers glide instead of grind.
Balance hardware is another area that often needs lube. Springs, pulleys, cables, and opener drums should all get a spray down. Cables with mild fraying can start to squeak against metal fixtures, too. Carefully listen as your garage door operates to isolate noises, then target lubrication to those specific spots.
If lubricating hardware doesn’t work, loose, worn or bent parts are likely the culprit. Check your door hinges closest to edges - if fastener holes have gotten elongated or enlarged, replace them. Putting new, longer screws into those oversized holes will secure hinges tightly again.
Examine rollers and hinges too. If rusted parts squeak badly even with fresh lube, swap in new hardware. Bearings in steel rollers go bad over years of use, causing loud squeals and resistance opening/closing doors.
Getting to the bottom of garage door noise may take some tinkering, but with methodical troubleshooting and maintenance, you can get back to smooth, quiet operation again.

Remote and Wall Push Button Issues

One of the frustrating, but relatively minor, issues that can arise is when the wall push button or remote control used to open your garage door stops working properly. This can have a variety of causes:

Dead Battery – Many garage door remotes are battery powered. If fresh batteries do not restore function, move on to other troubleshooting tips. Rechargeable remotes may need charging contacts cleaned or internal batteries replaced.

Interference – Other wireless devices like WiFi networks, baby monitors, etc operating on the same frequency can interfere with remotes. Try standing right next to openers when pressing remote buttons. Neighbor’s devices, new smart gadgets, and other environmental changes can cause signal disruption.

Antenna Issues – Opener antennas that communicate with remotes can get bent or disconnected. Visually inspect antennas and reconnect wires that may have come loose. If antennas are damaged, they may need professional replacement.

Faulty Circuit Boards – Bad internal parts like worn out circuit boards, called logic boards, can fail to send or receive appropriate signals. Have an overhead door company diagnose and service faulty logic boards and wall consoles.

Misaligned Photo Eye Sensors – While mainly used for entrapment protection when closing doors, logic boards also communicate with photoelectric sensors. If these fall out of alignment, some openers will fail to pick up remote signals.

Rust Damaging Garage Door Sections

If you live in areas with cold winters where they salt the roads, snow piled against garage doors can accelerate rust damage. The bottom door sections are often the first to show rust holes and flaking metal damage.
Tap on damaged areas with a hammer - heavily rusted parts will sound thicker and duller than solid metal. Watch for paint bubbling up, which occurs as rust spreads underneath. Use a wire brush to scrape paint away and examine metal underneath.
Light surface rust can often be removed and protected. Clean with a degreasing agent and scrub with fine grit sandpaper before repainting. For advanced rust-through, new steel garage door panel replacements installed by overhead door professionals will be required.
Review the condition of weatherstripping on the bottom panel while you’re at it. Cracked or missing seals also allow moisture penetration to speed up rust damage. Replace old bottom weather seals with fresh door sweeps or vinyl astragals.

How to Help Avoid Future Breakdowns

Okay, at Venus Garage Door & Gate, we’ve seen pretty much every common garage door problem under the sun. Hopefully going over some of these issues gives you ideas for preventative maintenance too, not just reactionary troubleshooting when doors stop working properly.
Here are our top tips for keeping garage systems running smoothly for years:

Lube the Tracks – About every six months, clean tracks and apply garage door lubricant along the full length – verticals and horizontals. Silicone spray can be used for really sticky rollers.

**Inspect Cables and Springs - **Look for frayed or kinked cables in balance systems and have pros replace them immediately if detected. Check springs for corrosion and measure for winding tightness twice per year.

Test Reversal – Garage door openers have a safety reversing function if they detect obstacles. Test this by laying an object like a 2×4 board in the doorway, allowing doors to touch it while closing. Make sure the opener reverse to fully open again.

Check Remotes and Wall Consoles – Verify battery powered remotes, keypads and wall consoles function properly on a routine basis. Check for signal interference if spotty operation occurs.

Clear Paths – Make sure nothing stored in garages can obstruct the door’s pathway up and down. Even partial obstructions can damage hardware and cause off-track issues.

Consider a Pro Inspection – Have professional garage door companies perform tune-ups, adjustments and full safety/functionality inspections every couple years. They may catch worn parts early before anything breaks.

I know dealing with a broken garage door when you’re trying to get to work or school is no fun. But thankfully, many common issues can be prevented or corrected cheaply on your own with some basic know-how. Here’s hoping these garage door troubleshooting tips will keep you rolling smoothly!

No previous story to show!

No next story to show!

Comments ( 1 )

  • Congue nisi vitae suscipit tellus. At ultrices mi tempus imperdiet nulla malesuada pellentesque. Semper eget duis at tellus at. Morbi blandit cursus risus at ultrices mi tempus imperdiet nulla. Aliquam purus sit amet luctus venenatis. Tellus molestie nunc non blandit.

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *