Four common garage door repairs

Garage doors offer fantastic longevity when built to the highest standards but, like any kind of mechanical device, their functionality can diminish over time. Even garage doors with the finest build quality and the best level of maintenance will eventually need repairing.

Whether it be a spring which simply needs oiling or a more major electronic malfunction, the extent of the repair work needed to fix a garage door-related problem can really vary. Here we discuss four of the most common garage door issues that we encounter here at Wessex Garage Doors, and offer straightforward advice on how to resolve each problem quickly and easily.

Let’s get started.

1. Garage Door Springs

It’s fairly inevitable that the springs used in your garage door will need to be replaced at some point in time. They are not designed to last forever and, much like the suspension system in your car, they will eventually wear out after long-term use. Therefore, don’t fret if you have a high-quality garage door that you spent a lot of money on and your springs suddenly go. All garage door springs need replacing – no matter how well-built your garage door might be.

However, replacing springs can be relatively dangerous work so we recommend that you contact a professional who understands the complexity of your garage door’s mechanics. It can also be very fiddly work making sure that the springs are calibrated correctly – too loose and the door will sag, too tight and the door will keep opening unexpectedly. Make sure you consult an expert for any help or advice. After all, the last thing you want to do is to get injured completing the work yourself or leave your door in a worse state of repair than it was before.

2. Garage Door Hinges

Issues with garage door hinges are particularly related to older models of automatic garage doors which used to function by swinging out and either up or down to open and close the door. The hinges involved were there to enable the door to follow its track more closely (i.e. the path which the garage door follows), eliminating any need for it to swing.

If you notice an issue with your garage door hinges, you should initially oil them to see if that improves the problem. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to consult a professional for advice on whether they need replacing or not. Depending on the age of the door, it might actually be more cost-effective to simply install a brand-new system.

3. Garage Door Tracks

The track that a garage door follows is the exact path it needs to follow in order to work effectively. With that in mind, even the slightest deviation to this track could cause serious problems to the door’s operationality. This deviation can develop for any number of reasons – a person bumping into it with significant force, accidental car bashes, small items getting stuck in the mechanism and wear and tear are all particularly common causes.

The repair work required really depends on the severity of the issue. For minor issues, it could be possible to fix the problem yourself but for major issues, like the door jumping track, the best thing you can do is contact a professional. Trying to fix a major garage door issue by yourself could put you in a potentially very dangerous situation.

4. Electronic Components

Modern garage door systems typically feature two major electronic components: The first is used to open the door and is a lot smaller than you might think. It’s the remote control! If the door opener is no longer working, the issue could be as straightforward as simply needing to replace the batteries. However, if that doesn’t work, the problem will likely be in the remote’s transmitter or with the receiver in garage itself. Rather than trying to identify and fix the issue yourself though, contact a professional who will be able to diagnose what’s wrong before any further damage is done.

The second electronic component is known as the ‘safety eye’. This is the sensor that checks to see if anything is blocking the base of the garage door. For example, as the case of Indiana Jones proves, if he were to drop his famed hat as the garage door was closing, when he goes back to grab it, the safety eye sensor would kick in and reverse the garage door back up its track.

If there is an issue with your garage door’s sensor, the garage door could refuse to close, posing a significant security risk. You should therefore consult an expert to get any sensor-related issue looked at as soon as possible.

If you have an issue with your garage door and are looking for professional help in the Surrey or London area, our dedicated team here at Wessex Garage Doors are ready and waiting to be of assistance. Contact us today by calling our freephone number on 0800 161 3733 or by emailing us at info@wessexgaragedoors.co.uk.