Top 5 Reasons You Need a Garage Door Repair

Your garage door is one of the largest and most integral pieces of your home. It is essential to take care of it with proper upkeep and preservation. But in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, sometimes garage door maintenance gets put on the back-burner until something goes really wrong.

We know what it's like: You've had a noisy garage door for a while, but all the critical pieces are still functioning, so you leave it alone. You prioritize getting it fixed later. Then one day you're late to an appointment and suddenly the garage door just won’t open. It makes noises, it opens a little, closes again, and then, nothing. A minor problem now becomes a much bigger one.

This is just one of many scenarios outlining what can go wrong with your garage door. From the door going off the tracks, to the cables and springs breaking, to the door opener not working anymore, garage door nuisances and disasters happen all the time.

When these issues occur, many homeowners look to do the repairs themselves, and that’s totally understandable. But there are some things better left to a trained professional. Fixing a broken garage door is one of them.

It is very complicated to fix a garage door. Broken spring replacement and garage door openers not working anymore take a certain amount of finesse and expertise. Not only that, but they can be highly dangerous endeavors.

The garage door is massive in size and weight. There are many intricately working pieces that keep it in balance as it goes up and down. Many times, when homeowners attempt to fix these difficult issues themselves, they end up creating additional damage leading to extra costs. Trained professionals know how to diagnose the problem quickly, and possess the knowledge and equipment necessary to properly repair your garage door.

Though there are dozens of reasons your garage door may need a repair, here are 5 of the most common ones:

Broken Springs

A torsion spring is the most important part of the door. Think of them as the heart of it. A broken torsion spring can cause major damage and is one of the primary issues with garage doors that need repair. 

There are many reasons why springs break. Generally, the springs used initially were the correct size, but in some instances they may not have been. Incorrect spring sizes can cause the springs to break sooner. Our technicians will diagnose the problem and replace the springs with the proper size making the sure the repair is fast, efficient and safe.

When your garage door opens unevenly it is often because of a broken spring.  Repeatedly opening and closing the door with a broken spring can harm the panels and other parts of your door. It is very unsafe to do this and needs to be attended to immediately by a professional.

Garage Door Off Tracks

Your garage door has a metal track it slides into that facilitates the opening and closing of it. If you notice a gap between the rollers and the rail, the garage door is off the track and needs to be repaired. This is to be expected over the lifetime of a garage door. Sooner or later, as a result of all the ups and downs, the springs break causing it to misalign. A garage door off the tracks is a common problem and broken springs are only one cause. There are others such as debris in the tracks, cables snapping and more.  

The most common cause of this, however, is running into the garage door with your car. This can occur by either backing into it or pulling out too fast in a stressful situation like being late to work. Be very aware when the garage door has gone off the tracks because if not handled efficiently and correctly the entire door can come crashing down.   

The Door Is Noisy 

A noisy garage door can be a nightmare. It can wake people up at night, irritate your neighbors and anyone else in the vicinity. It can also be a gentle reminder that there is something that needs to be taken care of before it leads to a more severe disruption.   

Some of the most common reasons for a noisy garage door are loose nuts and bolts, and issues with the rollers, springs, and hinges. If you hear strange noises coming from your door it could be because the door and track supports have loose or missing track bolts and screws which will cause the door to rattle in its rails. The rollers, springs and hinges may need to be either lubricated or replaced if they already have too much wear and tear on them. Over time things like hinges break or end up with lots of dust or metal filings. Removal of the bottom bracket may cause your garage door to fall, leading to severe injuries or death so it always best to request a repairmen.   

Garage Door Opener Not Working 

A garage door opener not working is definitely one of the top 5 reasons that you may need a garage door repair. One of the most common reasons for a door opener not working is simple: the battery is dead and needs to be replaced. However, if all the garage door openers stop working, it could be because the garage door antenna isn’t attached properly, and the door opener may need to be reset.  

Sometimes the door opener can be fixed yourself by simply changing the batteries or reprogramming your remote. In other cases, the issue is a little more serious in which you will need to contact a technician. It’s possible the garage door system’s control wiring is malfunctioning, or the garage door opener’s receiver board is damaged. From time to time the Ground Fault Interpreter (GFI) blows and needs to be reset. 

Door Won’t Open or Close

If your garage door won’t open or close it could be related to one of the aforementioned issues. There are some other possibilities for this as well.   

Most relatively new garage doors (made in the last 15-20 years) have a photo eye designed to detect if a person or object is blocking the door from lowering all the way. It shoots a laser across the length of the garage and, if interrupted, will cut off the signal preventing the door from lowering. This feature can malfunction due to leaks, dust, rainstorms etc.  

Your sensitivity could also be off which happens often to newly installed garage doors. If the door closes but then immediately pops open again, it could be the limit settings. The limit settings help the mechanism determine how far to move the door in order to close it properly. If the settings are off, the door hits the ground before the opener thinks it should.  

It is important to choose a garage door repair expert that you can trust, and who has the experience necessary to help solve your garage door issues. Pena Garage Doors has been fixing problems for over 20 years throughout the entire Los Angeles County area.

All of our technicians are fully qualified and experienced to deal with all service and repair work, on any garage door no matter when or where it was installed. We have a 100% professional work ethic and you can rely on us to give your garage door the service it requires to keep it operating at its best.

Having a problem with your garage door?

Simply call us or submit a request on our website. We will come to your house, diagnose the issue by performing one of our multi-point inspections on the spot, fix the door immediately whenever possible, and if not, setup a time to send one of our professional expert technicians out to replace or repair your garage door.

We have seen almost every conceivable garage door problem and know how to handle them quickly and efficiently. There isn’t anything that really surprises us anymore.

Don’t wait. Save the time and money tomorrow by taking care of it today.