OK! Monday morning is here! Get a shower. Run out of hot water! Dash down the stairs. Fall over cat! Get breakfast. What breakfast...? Open the garage door. Drive through door because it didn't open! Oh no! It's time for some garage door repair.
Garage doors are a vital part of any garage. So doors that don't close are very upsetting. Even if you are not one to tackle jobs around the house on you own, there are a few things that are simple to check on. The problem may be with the door itself. Even if the door has an electric garage door opener, the first place to look for problems is in the door.
The four types of garage doors each operate differently, so they require a different method of repair. A canopy door is one solid piece. It has spring loaded means of opening. And part of the door slides into the door opening while part of it overhangs in the driveway. This is typically found on older homes.
The side hinged doors I can envision on old carriage houses. They are seen today on higher end custom homes as well. The side hinged doors we recently installed were in a custom horse facility on the gate house. The three or more heavy duty hinges are mounted on each side of the opening and the two doors close together in the middle.
For a retractable door, the door itself is one piece. The door lifts and is concealed fully along the garage ceiling. This is also a type that is commonly found on older homes and garages.
The sectional door of today is the most common. With a garage door opening of either nine feet wide by seven feet high, the retractable door is a popular choice. To accommodate pick up trucks and other large four wheel drive vehicles or vans, a larger ten foot wide and eight foot high garage door is the best choice. If building the garage, consider adding an extra foot or two to the garage height to allow for the extra needed room for these vehicles.
A canopy door and a retractable door are very similar in that the springs and tracking aid them in operation. In this case care should be paid that the track is level and straight. Bends and dings in the track can inhibit the journey of the door from the top to the bottom.
Side hinged doors may need bolts tightened and hinges upgraded. If the door will not close all of the way together, the door itself may have become warped. Sometimes a carpenter can cut away part of the door or place more framing boards on the frame to help straighten it some. It is important with this style of door to close it fully each time so that the wood is less likely to warp or bend.
A sectional door is the most common form to be opened with a remote control. These doors can also suffer from track problems. The best thing to check for first is that all of the bolts and screws are holding it together tightly. Then look for foreign objects in the track. String, pet hair, mud, and rust are all hard on the doors.
After checking for foreign objects, the next thing to look into is the springs. Garage door springs are high pressure. If the door opens unevenly, then the springs may be the culprit. Garage door parts such as a spring is best fixed by a professional. High tensions objects can be dangerous to deal with unless you have the correct tools.
In the case that the electric door opener is the problem typically garage door opener parts have to come from the manufacturer. Looking on the housing of opener can usually tell you where it was made. If the belts or cord are the only problem, you may be able to do repairs yourself.
Whatever door style you possess, regular simple maintenance can keep your garage door repair to a minimum. So the next time your Monday morning might just go a little bit better.
