Garage Door Repair Hacks

As a homeowner, garage door repairs or opener repairs should not be a topic to debate about. Instead, this practice should be carried out routinely to ensure that every facility in your home, including your garage doors are in good working conditions. As such, proper and regular maintenance should remain the key factors that will make your garage door last longer while serving you in full capacity. Unfortunately, most of the homeowners are not fully aware of what it entails to make their garage doors efficient and in good shape. That is why we've come up with three garage door repair hacks you need to know in order to help you save money and time in your home.

1. Check and repair the tracks to enable the garage door to travel smoothly

It is important to be observant when opening or closing your garage door. By doing so, you will be in a good position to point out any fault that may arise. One of the common problems that you are likely to encounter is the freezing of the garage door on its way up or stopping suddenly and then reverses direction on its way down. This happens when your door's upward force or downward force is too low. In this regard, you will have to find possible ways of increasing the force adjustments on the door opener.

But before you even get started, it is prudent that you take a while to check the door if it is traveling smoothly on its tracks. Perhaps one or both tracks could be damaged or out of place, causing your garage door to malfunction.

To check if the door is traveling smoothly, you can pull the emergency release rope to enable you to perform your test by lowering and raising the door manually. In case of any fault, the door will get stuck before completing its full travel up or down the tracks. Once you establish where the problem is, you can carry out the repair on your own or look out for the technician to complete the task for you.

2. Make downforce adjustments on the garage door opener 

After repairing the tracks, you may check if the door is opening and closing easily before reconnecting it to its normal position. If not you may need to increase the downforce of your garage door. To achieve this feat, you will have to turn the adjustment screw clockwise. Then turn the adjustment screw a quarter turn at a time before retesting the door after every adjustment to ensure that it closing perfectly.

That is not enough. You will also want to make sure that your garage door downward force is not too high. This implies that excessive downward force is too dangerous and if not adjusted, it may cause some damage to your property or injuries to anything found on the path of the door. Just close the door with the opener and grab it using your hands when it is halfway down to ensure that its downward force is not excessive. And if you can stop the door with your hands, then no further door adjustment is needed.

On the other hand, you can reduce the downward force if you are unable to stop the door with your hands. This is done in small increments by making adjustments until your door closes completely without your aid but will stop if you grab it halfway.

3. Make upward force adjustments on your garage door

In case your garage door stops suddenly without opening completely, it is necessary to increase its upward force. This is made possible by turning the adjustment screw a quarter turn at a time in a clockwise manner. Every time you turn the screw, you should retest the door after each adjustment to make it open completely without any problem.

Just like testing the downward force, you will also test the upward force for safety. Use your hand to stop the door when it is halfway up while ensuring that the upward force is not excessive. Keep on adjusting until your garage door opens completely without any assistance and you can use your hand to stop it halfway when traveling upwards. If this happens, just know that your door is in its normal working condition

Additional Tips:

Here are two extra tips that can make a big difference in how your garage door works. These simple steps help prevent future problems, keep your door running smoothly, and even reduce noise. If you’ve already tried the main hacks, don’t skip these quick and helpful maintenance tips!

Lubrication:

Apply a silicone-based lubricant to hinges, rollers, springs, and tracks every six months. Avoid grease, which can attract dust and grime. Proper lubrication reduces noise, improves motion, and prevents parts from wearing out too soon.

Tighten the Loose Hardware

Use a socket wrench to tighten all roller brackets and track bolts. Check the hinges too. If any parts seem worn or cracked, replace them early to avoid bigger problems.

Final Thought Don’t let your damaged garage door give you sleepless nights when you can easily perform a few tasks to bring it back to its functional state. Or you can have our company, Garage Door Pros in Ypsilanti, Michigan, help you in your opener repairs or garage door repairs at an affordable rate.