If your garage door does not function properly and you hear all kinds of strange noises, it may be time for you to take a look at your hardware system to identify the cause. Pushing aside this verification could have negative consequences. You could suddenly find yourself with a blocked garage door, with your car stuck inside or outside.
Most importantly, don’t tell yourself it doesn’t matter because your electric garage door opener usually does all the work! Always remember that a door opener is only capable of what you would be with only one hand to lift your garage door.
Here are some reference points that will help you determine what is wrong.
1- The bottom of the door does not close tightly on each side of the door
It’s quite possible that one of the two lifting cables is not adjusted properly in the drum where it’s wrapped. Or, that one of the screws that’s attached securely to the drum tube that supports it, is loose.
Do not try to take care of the situation yourself, contact us today. It’s important to remember that the system "spring / tube / drum / cable / bottom bracket" is interconnected and that everything is subjected under very high tension.
2- Outside drain: can it be the cause?
In some cases, when your garage is located in the basement of your home, the door is not leveled because of the external drain. The freeze and thaw causes the drain to raise over the cold seasons, which then raises the concrete threshold of your garage door.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, we make sure to check if the drain line is in proper condition, and look at the materials surrounding the drain to make sure they are of superior quality and can allow these types of temperature variations.
3- The rollers aren’t doing their job
Check condition of rollers on each side of the door. Are there any that are severely worn out, on the edge of breaking or could possibly come out of the rail? Do they slide on the rail? A simple little reminder: rollers must roll on the track and not slide. The hinges that support them, are they properly secured to the door?
Warning: do not attempt to fix the rollers or the bracket of the bottom of the door. As noted in the first point, everything is subjected under very high tension.
4- One of the two horizontal rails moves way too much
The bolts on the metal fastener (triangle shaped) on which horizontal tracks are fixed, are loosened. Simply use a stepladder and tighten it. Use that time to check the second rail while you’re at it.
5- Your door opener doesn’t close your garage door completely shut
Depending on the door opener model (installed at the center of your door) you have in your garage, the majority of the door openers have closing and opening adjustment functions on the side of the monitor box. It’s often indicated with up and down arrows.
Use a flathead screwdriver, and make the necessary adjustment by turning the screw a quarter turn only. Activate your opener and check everything. Repeat if necessary.
The more you use your garage door as a main entrance and as a place to park your car, the more careful verifications your door requires.
If you detect abnormal sounds, contact us at 616-453-0164. At Environmental Door, we are experts at garage doors and know them more than anyone in the business. Our technicians are trained to take care of all types of situations to maintain a proper functioning of your door. Our annual program developed just for you will give you peace of mind at all times.
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