Garage Door Issues

Regular checkup of garage doors is necessary as overhead garage doors have many small parts which need to be cleaned regularly. Whenever the overhead garage door starts malfunctioning, the chief cause could be one of the listed items below. Components like the mounting screws, which keep the brackets in place, have become loose causing the door to move improperly, the rollers have become improperly aligned, the joints have become eroded or the springs becoming loose are problem causing.

Garage doors, which are overhead, come in two categories. There is the single piece variety which is light in weight and has a rigid panel which moves as a single unit in a sliding fashion and the sectional doors which have horizontal panels connected by hinges which fold as they move while the second variety is like more complex version of the first. Either way, periodic maintenance of both the models is a must.

The garage doors servicing begins with the basic hardware with focus on the hinges, rollers and brackets. Confirm that the bolts be tightly in place around the screws. A loose screw with eroded threads must not be used and should be immediately replaced with a carriage bolt. Put the carriage bolt inside the door by creating a small hole and secure it by sealing it with a nut and washer.

The proper functioning of the door rollers should be verified by checking the alignment of the spindles and the door seams. If a roller is observed to be broken, it should be replaced. Care should be taken and the lubrication of the spindles, the bearings in the rollers and the pins of the door hinges should be done twice a year.

Overhead garage doors move upwards along a set of metal tracks. One piece overhead doors have a pair of metal tracks which hang from the ceiling using a strong support. Sectional garage doors also have a pair of tracks which curve as they come down on either side. The panels have rollers mounted so that the door slides upwards and downwards without any interruption.

The metal panels should be linear or only slightly bent toward the back of the garage, the plumbing must be straight and any dirt or debris should be cleaned. To have a regular and smooth movement of the door the rollers should move properly and there shouldn't be any bends in the track. Dirt particles and debris will be a constraint on the movement of the rollers.

The leveling and proper plumbing is necessary for the horizontal and vertical sections respectively. The panels should be regularly spaced so that they are parallel. If you found the tracks not aligned properly, loosen the holding brackets and gently tap back into place.

Tighten the brackets after making this adjustment. Wipe the tracks clean from the inside and then spray the top of the track with some silicone spray. Heavy duty springs are coupled to the door with braided cable. They assist the operator in lifting and closing the door.

The spring can manage to hold the door stationary at a height of nearly three feet from the ground if the cables and hinges are all in place. For the remainder of the height, the door rises automatically. The other components should be properly lubricated and serviced before an attempt is made to readjust the spring.

To adjust the tension spring, the positioning of the S hook, located at the end of the braided cable, need to be changed. The S hook goes into one of the many holes located on top of either side of the door. The door needs to be raised and blocks and clamps keep it in place. Move the hooks forward to increase the tension and remember to make the same adjustment on both door cables.

The torsion spring is adjusted using a long iron rod which goes into a slot in the spring which then tightens the spring. Though it may sound easy, it is actually a very dangerous procedure. The torsion spring adjustment is best left to a professional.

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