Troubleshooting Common Garage Door Problems
Having a garage with automatic garage doors can be a wonderful luxury, and one that many homeowners take for granted--until something goes wrong with one of their garage doors or garage door openers. If your garage door is giving you issues when you try to use it, this is something you'll want to troubleshoot and have repaired as soon as possible. And while you should always call a garage repair professional to have any major repairs or part replacements done, there are a few steps you can usually take to troubleshoot minor problems yourself.
Garage Doors Won't Close
Do your garage doors begin to close, but grind to a halt when they reach a certain point along the track? Perhaps they even re-open and refuse to stay closed unless you shut them manually. More than likely, what you're dealing with is an issue with your safety sensors. Check to make sure your garage safety sensors (of which there are usually two for each door) are properly aligned and in place. If not, the sensor could be tripping and preventing your garage doors from closing fully.
Sensors are easy to replace if needed but begin by making sure they're in proper alignment and that there are no debris covering them, as this might resolve your problem.
Garage Doors Are Loud or Squeaky
If your once-quiet garage doors now seem excessively loud when they're opening or closing, then it may be time to perform some basic maintenance. When was the last time you lubricated your garage door track and rollers? If it's been awhile (or if you can't ever remember doing this), then try spraying a little lubricant (like WD-40) along the track to see if this helps. If not, or if you're noticing a loud "clanking" sound when your garage doors open or close, then it's time to call a professional, as you may be dealing with bad springs or another more serious problem.
Door Opener Range is Poor
If your garage door opener isn't working or will only work when you're in very close proximity to your doors, start by replacing the batteries on your remotes. If this doesn't do the trick, you may need to re-sync your remotes to your garage door opener, which can usually be done by pressing a "sync" button on the opener itself and then pressing the corresponding button on your garage door remote as well.
If these tips don't do the trick, then it's probably time to call a garage door professional for further troubleshooting. Click here to read more.
