Garages are a great asset of any home offering somewhere safe and dry to keep your car and other possessions. In fact on average the American homeowner opens and closes their garage door 1,500 times a year! However, like all other household appliances sometimes garage doors fail and need to be repaired or replaced. Before searching for “garage door repairs Fort Worth TX” on your favorite search engine read these tips to find out if your door needs to be repaired.
Your Garage Door Won’t Open or Close
This is perhaps the most obvious sign that your garage door needs to be repaired or replaced. Several factors can contribute to your garage door not opening or closing such as broken or worn down cables, a malfunctioning garage door opener, or the spring needing to be replaced. Luckily these are all problems that a contractor specializing in garage door repairs Fort Worth TX can easily fix.
Your Garage Door is Noisy
In general your garage door shouldn’t make grinding or popping noises when it is opening or closing. If your door is making one of these noises you should have it inspected promptly. A repairperson will likely be able to tell what component is failing by the sound the door makes. For example a grating noise can mean bent coils, rumbling could mean a loose tensioner spring, squealing could mean the door is out of balance, etc. In some cases it may just be a spring or cable that needs to be oiled.
Your Garage Door is off the Track
Another clear sign that your garage door needs to be repaired is if the rollers on the door jump off the track. This is a repair that should be done immediately and the door should be placed out of operation until it is properly repaired as it can be a dangerous situation. There are several reasons that a garage door might come off the track such as a vehicle hitting the door, the rails aren’t aligned properly, one of the rollers could be broken or worn out, or one of the lift cables could have snapped.
Your Garage Door is Hanging Unevenly
An unbalanced garage door is a problem because it can put more stress on one spring which can lead to this over-stressed spring breaking. Without springs that are working properly your garage door opener will experience difficulty opening which could cause it to break. If you notice your garage door sagging or closing unevenly you should contact a repair company.
Your Garage Door Slows Down
If your garage door is taking longer than normal to open it may need to be repaired. There are a few things you can check yourself before contacting a repair company. First you should oil the rollers, hinges, and tracks with a high quality lubricant to ensure that no part is sticking during opening and causing it to open more slowly. If this doesn’t fix the speed you should contact a garage door repair company.
Rising Energy Bills
If you notice that your energy bill is increasing more than usual you may want to consider replacing your garage door. When shopping for a new garage door consider purchasing one with a lower U-factor, a higher R-factor, and more layers for optimal energy efficiency. You can increase the energy efficiency of your garage door by purchasing one that has an internal layer of polyurethane insulation. If you want to avoid replacing your garage door you can purchase insulation and install it on your current door.
