Common Reasons for Requiring Garage Door Repair

Part of having a home with a garage is understanding that sometimes you’ll need to invest in garage door repair. A damaged garage door isn’t just an eyesore, it can also be a significant security risk, while also contributing to inflated energy bills. This means that garage door repairs need to be booked in as soon as significant damage is noticed, which can take place for a variety of reasons.

This blog will break down a few common forms of garage door damage and how they occur, illustrating their potential impacts and how they can be fixed.

Broken springs

This is likely the most common cause for garage door repairs, generally found as an issue with both electric and manual up-and-over garage doors that operate largely via springs. They’re under a fair amount of tension, meaning they can either stiffen up or become brittle and break, which will eventually result in the door becoming non-operational, requiring replacements.

Worn rollers and misaligned tracks

Much like broken springs, rollers on sectional and roller doors can become worn out over time. Worn rollers will eventually cause the door top open and close irregularly, often coming hand in hand with damaged or misaligned tracks. Long-term movement, especially with worn rollers, will eventually shift the tracks out of place preventing proper function.

Damaged cables and electrics

When you run a garage door regularly, you can put the cables and internal electrics under a fair amount of pressure. This can lead to them becoming frayed or broken, leading to significant operational issues. Another form of electrical damage can be safety sensors or remote controls ceasing to work, which will need to be replaced as and when.

The most common causes of garage door damage

Needing a garage door repair for any of these forms of damage can be caused by a variety of different things. Some of the most common causes of damage include:

Weather damage. Extreme weather, especially super-fast winds can lead to doors becoming seriously damaged – this is most common in the case of the doors aren’t properly secured. Wind can also blow objects directly into the doors.
Temperature changes. Temperature changes can also result in damage to different elements of doors, such as making springs more brittle and sensitive.
Impact damage. This comes as a result of vehicles or other objects crashing directly into the doors, resulting in dents or other damage to the panels. Even if the impact doesn’t cause substantial visual damage, it could easily result in internal damage.
Poor maintenance. A lack of proper maintenance will make your garage door much more susceptible to damage. Tips and tricks like lubrication and inspection are essential for keeping wear and tear on components.
Faulty sensors. Damaged or faulty sensors will only serve to exacerbate damage. Failing safety sensors can result in unexpected door behaviour, opening too far or too fast.

These are the most regularly occurring causes for garage door damage, highlighting the variety of ways you need to be vigilant as a homeowner.

Choosing the right garage door repair service

So can a garage door be repaired yourself? We’d argue it’s not wise. Trying to ding out a smashed garage door or do complex cable work yourself isn’t going to be easy, especially if you’re inexperienced with such tasks. That’s why we’d always recommend investing in professional repair – even better if you can have it completed by the original installer.

But remember, the best setup for repairs is always to properly care for your doors, so don’t neglect to keep them maintained!