Things That Can Cause Your Garage Door To Break Down

Your garage door is like any other mechanical structure. And like any other mechanical structure, there are things that can cause your garage door to break down. When this happens, you'll need to get an expert to come by to repair it.

But what does this garage door repair consist of? Certainly, it's nice to have some kind of idea what's going on with anything that you're shelling out money to be worked on. But garage door openers are so arcane to most of us. How can you know what's possibly going on with such a setup?

To get some idea, we at Garage Door Systems, Inc. have put together a list of a few of the most common errors you'll encounter with your garage door opener!

The Springs Broke

Your garage door opener is outfitted with two springs that do a majority of the heavy lifting when it comes to opening your garage door. But they are designed only to work with so many open-close cycles on your door before they go boom - literally. The sound of a spring breaking is comparable to a gunshot because of the tension they carry.

Once your springs go out, your garage door opener might not be able to open your door very well - if at all. This problem is common, and it can be identified by the loud sound of a spring failing (should you be around to hear it).

The Track Is Aligned Wrong

Think of a garage door as a train. A train doesn't move independently as does a car or boat. A train needs to be on a set track that lets it move up or down one unchanging path. And should that path becomes compromised in some way, the train won't be able to go anywhere - at least not safely.

Likewise, your garage door needs a track to move up and down. And like a train track, your garage door's track can become damaged over time. And because of how heavy a garage door is, once the track becomes damaged, the damage will only continue to worsen until the tracks are realigned.

The Tension Springs Or Cables Broke

Your garage door is heavier than you might think. To look at it rise and lower slowly and smoothly, you might think it's actually quite light, but indeed, that grace of movement is due to the tension mechanics built into a garage door. They serve an important function in moving your garage door smoothly.

More than smoothly, though, this tension system moves your garage door SAFELY. Without tension springs or cables to help it move smoothly, your garage door won't glide down gracefully; it'll SLAM down. And if you or anyone is under it when that happens, you could be looking at some pretty serious injuries. If you find that your garage is closing with all the grace of a car wreck, you need to have your tension springs or cables checked

The Bottom Line

A garage door is a complex system that can fail to function for a variety of reasons, many of which might be completely off the radar for most homeowners. Hopefully, this list has illuminated you to the complexities of your garage door. Even so, if you notice any of these problems occurring, you don't need to handle them yourself, as they can require a specialist's knowledge to address properly and, more so, safely.

If you need a reliable repair, just call the experienced experts at Garage Door Systems, Inc. We can handle any garage door issue, no matter how big, small, or obscure.