6 Steps To Take When Your Garage Door Malfunctions

A garage door consists of the door itself and an electric opener. Both sectional and one-piece overhead garage doors use spring tension to open. Heavy spring(s) force the door to move along metal tracks mounted to the garage walls. The fix is usually uncomplicated when a door is difficult to open or close.

Step 1: Check The Sensors

The sensor is often at blame when doors cease closing properly. Verify its current location and orientation as a first step. Putting it lower on the page could make a difference. Don't put anything in the way of the sensor. According to the team at a Baltimore garage door repair company, the door's malfunction may be due to the sensor being blocked. Dust, water, and even pollen can be blown in with the wind and collected on the sensors. The sensors may also become thrown off due to the garage door's vibrations on the tracks, which is especially problematic if your door is particularly hefty. If that's the case, you might need to add bracing to each track and tighten the sensor adjustment screws a bit further to eliminate the tremors. Your safety is also ensured because the heavy garage doors could cause unimaginable injuries.

Step 2: Check The Metal Rails

Make sure you inspect the garage's metal rails. Look at the wall brackets that will keep the tracks in place. Bolts or screws at the frames should be tightened if they are dangling. Check for dents, crimps, and flat areas on the trails while you're inside the garage. Use a rubber mallet or a hammer and a piece of scrap wood to pound out any dents or damaged areas. There should be a new set of tracks installed if the current ones are severely damaged.

Step 3: Check The Alignment

Use a level to make sure the rails are level. With roll-up garage doors, the vertical parts of the track should be plumb, but the horizontal sections should slant slightly down toward the back of the garage. Both ways must be installed at the same height on the garage walls. The screws or bolts holding the mounting brackets should be loosened but not removed, and the tracks should be gently tapped into place if they are not perfectly aligned. Ensure the tracks are level again, and then tighten the screws or bolts in the mounting brackets.

Step 4: Clean The Door

Remove debris and dried grease from the tracks by cleaning them with a powerful home cleaner. Even the best garage door will eventually wear down from everyday exposure to the elements, including rain, sun, wind, and dirt. Door finishes can fade and even become damaged or degraded over time. The door's finish can deteriorate more quickly if dirt and grime are allowed to accumulate on it for extended periods. Roll the tracks and rollers under a drying towel to get them clean. First, remove any dirt or grime from the area by wiping it down with a clean cloth. If any concealed pebbles or abrasive fibers are attached to the door, rub lightly so as not to harm the material. It will ensure that your cleaning supplies will have a clean surface to work on.

Step 5: Tighten The Screws

Locate any screws or bolts that may be slack and tighten them. Make that the screws holding the plates onto which the spring is fastened on swinging doors are snug. The hinges that connect the individual panels of a roll-up door should be inspected, the screws holding them in place tightened, and any broken hinges replaced. When a door begins to sag on one side, servicing the hinges is often all required to get it back where it should be. The screw should be replaced with a longer one of the same diameter, and the hole should be patched with a hollow fiber plug secured with the carpenter's glue. Wood filler can repair screw holes and fissures in the wood where hinges were previously attached. The hinge should be put back on once the filling has dried.

Step 6: Replace

While many garage door issues, such as broken springs, dented horizontal panels, and noisy rollers, are fixable, there comes a time when it's preferable to get a new one. If the repair cost is more than half what a new door would be, you should get a new one. The good news is that modern garage doors are made from such sturdy materials that they may survive up to half a century.



It would be best if you did not fix a roll-up door with only a single torsion spring in the door's center. The tension is so tremendous that the spring might hurt you. You should only attempt this with others if it is your first time. It is best to get help from an expert, so keep that in mind.