Home DIY Projects

Garage door repair may often be done by the homeowner themselves. There are at least 5 simple things to check, before calling a professional. Some repairs are extremely easy. For example, a stiff or a squeaky door will merely require a good cleaning and lubrication. Other types of garage door repair, such as repairing a torsion spring, are extremely dangerous and require help from a professional.

Safety always comes first. Before doing any sort of work on your garage door, make sure you’ve disconnected your garage door opener so that you minimize the risk of getting electrocuted. Most probably, you’ll be using a ladder; a fall from which can add to the injury. Most importantly, safety goggles are a must when working with electric tools.

Before calling in a professional for repair help, make sure you go through the following check list:

1. Check the Metal Tracks for Damages

Check the garage door’s metal track for dents or bumps. If any, use a wooden block and a hammer to set the crooked part straight. This is a very useful technique and helps solve the problem quickly.

2. Check the Alignment of the Tracks

The door might not work smoothly because of improper alignment of the metal tracks. To fix this, unscrew the metal tracks a little; gently, tap the tracks back into the right alignment and check again using a level. After you’ve fixed this, you garage door will be working just fine.

3. Clean the Tracks thoroughly and Dry Them

Even though it may sound obvious, but hardened dirt and old lubricant may be the cause of the garage door sticking. In this case, your garage door repair may consist of merely cleaning the tracks and then drying them. You can use regular cleaners to clean the tracks.

4. Lubricate the Tracks and the Rollers

Lubrication often solves most garage door problems instantly. Do this mostly after you’ve cleaned the garage door: use a silicon spray or a lubricant spray to lubricate all movable parts of the garage door. This will help facilitate easier movement.

5. Tighten any Loose Screws of Bolts

Bolts and screws tend to become loose with time. Try to check all of the screws and bolts involved in the opening/closing mechanism of your door. Sometimes, merely tightening them may solve the whole problem. If you cannot tighten the screws, because the holes themselves have become loose, then you can use a “wood filler” or pieces of normal wood to fill the holes.

What Not To Do:

If your problem still persists despite following the above measures, the problem might lie in the door spring. It is important to note here that trying to fix the torsion spring can result in serious injury. That is why, if the problem is being caused because of the torsion spring, do call in a professional to get it fixed. Many people attempt at fixing the torsion spring themselves, and there have been incidents where serious injuries resulting in either death or chronic damage to the brain have been caused.

If you doubt your garage door repair, you should not perform any more repairs on it although it’ll cost you lesser that way. However, a reliable professional can help save you from severe injuries.

Author Adam Stranton is very knowledgeable about quick garage door repair and about many other types of simple garage door repairs.

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