There are two specific components to a garage door – the door itself and the mechanism that opens it. This blog post is going to show you how to repair both of these things. Always remember that when making repairs, safety comes first so be sure that you have the proper tools. If not, then you should bring in a professional.
Overhead garage doors always swing up in a single piece, whether then are roll up doors or operated on spring tension. A garage door moves along metal racks that are attached to the garage walls. Most of the time, if you can catch problems early enough then repairs are fairly simple.
Step 1: Inspect the Metal Racks
Always start your inspection with the metal racks that are inside of the garage. Look closely at the mounting brackets that are used to attach the bracket to the wall. If they happen to be loose, then you can tighten the bolts. Then close the garage door and example the tracks for damage. If you find dents, you can try using a rubber hammer to pound them out. However, if the tracks are severely damaged then you should replace them.
Step 2: Check the Track Alignment
Use a level to check the track to make sure that they are still properly aligned. These tracks should slant slightly downward toward the back of the garage. The vertical sections should be level. Both tracks must be installed at the same height. If there is a minor problem with the alignment, then you can loosen the bolts (do not remove) and lightly tap it back into the correct position.
Step 3: Clean Tracks
You will now want to use a concentrated household cleaner to remove the dirt and grease from the tracks. You also want to thoroughly clean the rollers. Then dry everything that you cleaned.
Step 4: Check for Loose Hardware
You can tighten any loose hardware as needed. On garage doors that swing up, you will need to check the plates where the spring has been mounted in order to ensure that the screws are tight. If not, then tighten them. On garage doors that roll up, make sure that the hinges are all tightened securely. They are designed to hold sections of the door together so you need to be sure they are not loose. Tighten them if necessary and be sure to replace any hinges that are damaged.
If the door is sagging on one side of the door then you can fix this by replacing the hinges. If a screw hole has become enlarged, then you can replace the screw with a longer one. Be sure that you dip the new screw into carpenter’s glue and use a hollow fiber plug.
If the wood at the hinge is damaged, then you can remove it and fill the cracks with wood filler. Give the filler time to dry and then replace the hinge onto solid wood.
Sometimes the garage door can become a victim of age. Here is a post dedicated to show you the dangers of an aging garage door.
