Garage door repair may often be done by the homeowner themselves. There are at least 5 simple things to check, before calling a professional. Some repairs are extremely easy. For example, a stiff or a squeaky door will merely require a good cleaning and lubrication. Other types of garage door repair, such as repairing a torsion spring, are extremely dangerous and require help from a professional.
Before proceeding to the repair, make sure to unplug your garage door opener, so that you do not get an electric shock while you are repairing your garage door. You will most likely be standing on a ladder, which is a very bad place to get an electric shock, since you may also fall off the ladder. Also, remember to wear safety glasses when working with power tools.
Before calling in a professional for repair help, make sure you go through the following check list:
1. Check Metal Tracks for Damages
Check the garage door's metal track for dents or bumps. If any, use a wooden block and a hammer to set the crooked part straight. This is a very useful technique and helps solve the problem quickly.
2. Check the Alignment of the Tracks
If the tracks are not aligned well, they may be causing the door not to work. It's not always necessary to unscrew the tracks; you can just try to loosen the bolts or screws and to tap the tracks slightly into position. Use a level to check the alignment of the tracks. Aligned tracks will let you be done with your garage door repair in no time.
3. Check for Dirty or Wet Tracks
Dirt stuck in the movable parts of your garage door may be the obvious cause of improper functioning. Old lubricants can add to the problem too. To get rid of this trouble, use a regular cleaner to clean out hardened dirt and old lubricant in the tracks. After having cleaned them, let everything dry out completely.
4. Lubricate the Tracks and the Rollers
Merely lubricating both, the tracks and the rollers, can fix the problem and conclude your garage door repair in no time. For lubrication, you may use a lubricant spray or a silicon spray. It is probably better to lubricate the tracks after cleaning them. Actually, any movable part will benefit from lubrication.
5. Tighten any Loose Screws of Bolts
Bolts and screws tend to become loose with time. Try to check all of the screws and bolts involved in the opening/closing mechanism of your door. Sometimes, merely tightening them may solve the whole problem. If you cannot tighten the screws, because the holes themselves have become loose, then you can use a "wood filler" or pieces of normal wood to fill the holes.
What Not to Do?
If your problem still persists despite following the above measures, the problem might lie in the door spring. It is important to note here that trying to fix the torsion spring can result in serious injury. That is why, if the problem is being caused because of the torsion spring, do call in a professional to get it fixed. Many people attempt at fixing the torsion spring themselves, and there have been incidents where serious injuries resulting in either death or chronic damage to the brain have been caused.
If you doubt your garage door repair, you should not perform any more repairs on it although it'll cost you lesser that way. However, a reliable professional can help save you from severe injuries.
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