Common Problems With Roller Garage Doors

25 January 2016
 Categories: , Blog


Here are two common roller garage door problems that you are likely to experience over the door's lifespan:

Spring failure

Contrary to what most homeowners might accept as true, it is the springs of a roller garage door and not the garage door opener that does the difficult task of lifting heavy doors. Roller garage doors typically have two types of springs; extension springs and torsion springs. Extension springs are often found at the right and left sides of the garage door frame. If one or both of the springs break or are worn, the door will be prove difficult to lift since spring failure will cause the weight of the door to be heavier than normal. Torsion springs, on the other hand, are usually installed at the top of the door frame. They can also become worn over time and fail completely, making your garage door heavier than usual to lift. 

If your garage door opener is struggling to lift the full weight of the door or fails to open the door at all, call an expert, as replacing worn or broken springs can be a very dangerous job, especially if you don't have the right tools, proper understanding of safety instructions and reasonable mechanical dexterity.

Misaligned tracks

If the metal track that your garage door runs on gets out of position, it can be a grim problem. For the door to move, the track needs to be aligned properly. If gaps exist between the rail and rollers of the door or you can see stoops in the rails themselves, then there is trouble. Over time, these problems can be aggravated by the weight of the door until it becomes extremely dangerous to operate your door.

A faulty track can cause a door to get stuck or become stiff when you are opening and closing it. Check the tracks to ensure they are clean and without debris that may cause jamming of the door. It is not advisable to lubricate your door by applying grease on the track, rollers or guides as they can trap dust and dirt easily. Instead, use a clean piece of cloth to wipe the tracks, but be mindful of sharp edges. Also, see to it that the door stays put as you're cleaning the tracks. Unless you are reasonably good at DIY, you should allow a professional to do the job.

Several repair issues that can be avoided by making sure your garage door is serviced on a regular basis. Scheduled maintenance of your door can save you the time and money required to perform frequent repairs, including the ones discussed above.


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