Signs Your Garage Door Needs Maintenance or Repair

Garage doors have become an essential convenience in most American homes. In fact, according to a recent U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development survey, 80 percent of American homes have either a garage or a carport.

Additionally, as materials and mechanics improve, garage doors have become more durable. However, even the most durable and well-installed garage door will occasionally require either maintenance or repair.

It’s important you get any garage door issues repaired as soon as possible. While malfunctioning doors may be costly to repair, leaving them in disrepair not only risks further and more expensive damage, but they can also become dangerous to you and your family.

Contact King Door for Garage Door Repairs Today

Keep in mind, a survey conducted by National Electronic Injury Surveillance System revealed in one year, over 13,000 people visited hospitals with injuries caused by garage doors. While most of these injuries were caused by malfunctioning doors, others were caused by ill-advised DIYers trying to save money on professional repairs, yet another reason to always turn to a certified service person for all of your garage service needs.

That’s why we decided to outline some of the most common signals your garage door is in need of service. Whether you need a garage door alignment, require broken spring service or need some form of garage door opener repair, routine maintenance and service is one of the best ways to extend the life of your garage door while maintaining value in your home. Here are some problems to keep an eye for.

Your Door Is Making a Lot of Noise

One of the first and most obvious signs something is wrong with your garage door is heard, not seen. Although your garage door motor will always make some sound, this sound should be smooth and regular. If your opening or closing door is making a new sound or the sound is growing more wrenching and aggressive, you likely need to have your garage door serviced.

There are a couple of issues that might cause this new sound:

• The most severe issue is a damaged motor. Unfortunately, every once in a while, a garage door opener motor will fail. While a service person may be able to make a small adjustment in order to repair it, the most likely fix is a complete motor replacement. Luckily, while a motor replacement isn’t the cheapest repair, it will give you an opportunity to upgrade your motor, perhaps replacing your old model with a quieter, smoother operation.

• If a service person determines your motor is in fact running fine, then you may simply need to have your springs lubricated. However, while some basic lubrication can be done by amateurs, keep in mind springs are under immense tension. You should never try to fix garage door springs or replace garage door springs on your own. Call a professional in order to avoid serious injury.

You Cannot Lift Your Door Manually

The most important feature of an automatic garage door is the fact that it lifts itself. However, it is also important you are able to lift your garage door manually.

First and foremost, in the event of a power outage, you need to be able to lift your door in order to get your car out. While no one anticipates an emergency, there are moments when getting your car and family out of your garage is a life-or-death situation.

But the ability to lift your door is also an important indicator of the quality of your garage door spring balance. The springs in your garage door are designed to make lifting your door manually easier and decrease the amount of power needed to lift your door automatically. These springs are extremely heavy duty, and they can hold a large amount of tension. That’s why a garage door, despite being upwards of 200 pounds, should be able to be easily lifted by any grown adult.

If your door is difficult or impossible to lift, that means that the springs are no longer capable of holding a portion of the weight, meaning you are in fact trying to lift the entire weight of the door. Because springs can degrade over time, this is especially common in older doors. Even the highest-quality springs will eventually begin to lose tension and thus start to fail.

Luckily, if your door is beginning to experience spring failure, a basic garage door spring replacement is all that is needed to return your door to its proper balance. However, as we mentioned before, it is extremely important that you leave any garage door spring replacement work to professionals.

Broken Garage Door Spring Replacement

These springs need to be strong enough to bear the weight of a 200-pound door, so they are designed to be under incredible tension. When you remove those springs, that tension is released. Because of the amount of power released, springs can cause serious and even life-threatening injuries, especially considering your face and head are often in close proximity to the springs when you are working on them.

Your Door Is Slow to Respond to the Remote

The convenience of an automatic garage door hinges on the ability to use a remote. Whether you have a car full of groceries or you are arriving home in a heavy rain, being able to open your garage door without having to step out of your car is one of the greatest benefits of an automatic garage door system.

However, you may have noticed your garage door doesn’t seem to be responding as well to your remote anymore. Maybe it has gotten sluggish, only opening well after you press the button. Or perhaps you find you are pressing the button two or three times before the garage door responds.

Garage Door Opener Maintenance

Luckily, this is usually a minor issue that is likely due to one of these reasons:

• Dead Batteries: before you call for garage door service, make sure the batteries in your remote are fresh. Always replace batteries in your garage remote as a set and make sure all of the batteries match.
• Remote Malfunction: If your garage door opener is still not responding within a second or two, then you may have a malfunction in the remote. While it may be easily repaired, most likely it will need to be replaced. Fortunately, a replacement remote is generally pretty affordable.

Your Garage Door Sags or Is Uneven

Look at your door, especially when it is halfway closed. Is one side lower than the other? This is a tell-tale sign your garage door balance alignment is off.

While this may be a cosmetic issue at first, it is important you address any balance issues as soon as possible.

Garage door balance is not unlike the wheel alignment on your car. Although it may be annoying when you notice it, the real issue is uneven wear. When you drive on tires that aren’t properly aligned, one tire ends up wearing down faster than the other. This can lead to a dangerous situation when one tire is more prone to flattening or has an inferior grip on the road.

The same can be said for your garage door. Eventually, one spring is going to become far more worn than the other spring. This can be dangerous, as that overly worn spring can snap, potentially causing damage to your car or injury to your family. Furthermore, it is going to put increased strain on your motor. While a failing motor isn’t necessarily dangerous, it is a much more expensive fix than simply realigning your door.

It is important to consult a professional service person in order to ensure you are addressing your misalignment correctly. If the misalignment is caused by uneven wear in your springs, a spring replacement is likely your best fix. However, if the problem is an improperly hung door, you’ll want to have a professional rehang your door as soon as possible to prevent further uneven wear.

Your Electricity Bill Is Rising

Garages are super convenient, but unfortunately, if they aren’t functioning properly, they can also become taxing on your electricity bill.

There are a couple of issues that could be causing your garage door to become energy inefficient. Firstly, you may need to look at the weather sealant around your garage door. As the rubber sealant ages, it can start to become inefficient. This rubber weather stripping works by being pliable and thus creating an airtight seal. However, when rubber ages, it become hard and thus no longer keeps the tight seal that it used to.

Luckily, this is usually a rather affordable repair, as most garage doors come with easily replaced weather stripping. Even an older door can be retrofitted with new, energy-efficient weather sealing.

However, keep in mind that a consistently malfunctioning door can also cause your energy bills to increase. For example, if your door isn’t closing as quickly as it used to, or if your door is stalling at a point where it isn’t fully shut, you will notice your garage door is letting all of the cool or hot air out every time you use it.

If this is the case, you need to make sure you have a professional inspect your garage door system in order to ensure that you are fixing the correct problem.

Your Garage Door Is Dented or Otherwise Damaged

Unfortunately, whether you have kids playing roller hockey in your driveway or a distracted driver who doesn’t realize how close to the door they actually are, at some point you may find your door is either dented or damaged.

Of course, a dented door is an eyesore, which can have a negative impact on your curb appeal. However, the concerns over dented doors extends beyond the cosmetic. A dented door, much like a misaligned door, can have a negative impact on the way that your garage door system ages:

• The lifting mechanism on an automatic garage door is designed with factory specifications in mind. If your door has become damaged in some way, it is likely it is no longer as well balanced as it once was.
• This can add increased wear and tear on your full garage door system.
• Additionally, a damaged garage door may not navigate the tracks that guide it during lifting nearly as well.

Again, this will increase wear and tear and eventually cause your garage door to fail and thus require significant repairs or costly replacement.

Damaged Panel Repair & Replacement Services

Luckily, a damaged garage door panel need not necessarily require a total door replacement. A single panel replacement is a great way to bring your door into like-new condition without investing in an entirely new door. If you are interested in exploring an individual garage door panel replacement, it’s important that you work with an authorized dealer who can match your door and thus make sure that the appearance of your home is not compromised.

Who to Turn to for Your Garage Repair Needs

Of course, if you find yourself in need of garage door service or repair, you don’t want to turn to just anyone. You want the kind of quality and attention to detail that will ensure your repair is long-lasting and sound. Luckily, if you are looking for the best garage door maintenance service Kern County, California, has to offer, look no further than King Door.

For over 31 years, we have been providing the best garage door installation and repair service to both residential and commercial customers:

• We have the experience and know-how to ensure no problem, no matter how big or how small, can keep us from getting your garage door into the best possible condition.
• Whether it’s an older door with aging parts or a new one with all the bells and whistles, we will do everything we can to keep it operating smoothly and efficiently.

All of our service and repairs are performed by a highly trained and certified professional, so you know you are getting the kind of attention and skill that you deserve as a homeowner.

Benefits of Regular Garage Door Service

You should also consider planning annual garage door maintenance. By having a professional regularly inspect your entire garage door system once a year or once every 2 years, you can identify and repair small problems before they turn into much larger and more expensive issues. This is especially helpful if you have an aging door that you would like to keep operating for as long as possible.

At King Door, we pride ourselves on offering the best garage door maintenance and repair services in Bakersfield. Because we keep so many styles and sizes of individual garage door panels in stock, we can quickly repair a damaged door. In fact, for many styles, we even offer same-day panel replacement and repair.

Whether you are looking to repair a damaged garage door, check on some sagging springs, deal with a slow or non-functioning remote or just trying to take care of that strange clunking sound you hear every time your door opens, you can count on King Door for all of your garage door repair needs. If it’s a problem that can be fixed, we can do it. If something needs to be replaced, we can take care of that too. Contact us today, and one of our friendly and helpful representatives will make sure you get your door back up and operating as soon as possible.