You hit the button, and the garage door opens and closes! It's easy to not think about your garage door until something goes wrong. You might even dismiss a loud creaking or groaning noise as normal, but they are not. Don't ignore signs that your garage door needs maintenance. Avoid garage door breakdowns by calling an expert to perform a few inspections each year along with frequent lubrication of all of your garage door parts.

Common Garage Door Problems That Most Homeowners Face

Be aware of these common garage door problems so you know what to look out for if you experience issues with your own:

Broken Garage Door Springs

When your garage door seems to have difficulty opening, slams shut too fast, or won't open at all, you will need to temporarily disengage the emergency release and operate the garage door by hand until you can get it repaired. Depending on the type of spring, you use, you should be able to look above the garage door and see a cracked or cleanly split spring and know that it's time to call an expert. Don't risk the safety issues that can be associated with repairing garage door springs yourself.

Your Garage Door Sensor is Misaligned

At the base of your garage door are two laser sensors that help prevent damage or injury to objects or pets and small children who may be in the path of the garage door when closing. These sensors should be lined up but can become misaligned causing the door to immediately reverse or to not operate at all. When this happens, the sensor boxes need to be adjusted to be in proper alignment again.

Dead Garage Door Remote

When your remote stops opening the garage door, first check your batteries. While most remote batteries last for quite some time before needing to be replaced, they don't last forever. Replacing the batteries can be an easy step to do yourself, however sometimes, the remote may be broken and will need to be repaired or replaced.

Garage Door Off Track

Sometimes, the garage door comes off of the track it operates on. Maybe someone slammed it down too hard or maybe the sensors stopped working and it hit an object on the ground or was hit by an object-throwing it off the track. You may need a new track which will require maintenance to the track and the door will need to be reattached to the rail which will require the assistance of someone who knows what they are doing and has the proper equipment to help.

Maintenance Prevents Problems

The easiest way to avoid unnecessary garage door repairs is to have it maintained quarterly. Why spend time and take a chance on doing the maintenance yourself when you can call a trained repairman to make sure your maintenance is done properly. Have a certified technician come out to inspect and lubricate the garage door parts. This small service charge could save you a bundle on future larger repairs.