Two Quick Repairs For A Garage Door
When your garage door stops working like it should, it is only too easy to assume that there is nothing you can do to get your garage door working like it should. However, a little troubleshooting before you call in reinforcements can help you to save money, time, and the inconvenience of having to work around a door that is not working like it should.
Rails
If your door stops opening or closing partway, the most likely culprit is damage to or a blockage in your rails. First, examine your rails for blockages such as plastic bags or leaves that can blow into your garage and get caught up in the rails. If you find some sort of debris, simply remove it to get your door working again.
If you don't find any debris caught up in your rails, your next move should be to look for bends in your rails. You can run a small piece of one-by-one lumber along the front, back, and sides of your rails. If the rails maintain contact with the one-by-one, then you don't have a problem. If you find any place where the lumber loses contact with your rails, you have a bend. The problem with a bend is that there is not a lot of clearance between your wheels and the rails, so even a small bend can pinch the wheels and create a jam. To fix the issue, put the same piece of lumber against the opposite side of the rail and strike it with a hammer to even out the bend. The wood will help to distribute the force of the blow so that you don't put dents in the rails.
Sensors
Your door should come equipped with obstruction sensors. If these get blocked or out of alignment, they will prevent your door from closing like it should. Start with clearing blockages and cleaning the sensors. Check to make sure that nothing is in the way of your sensors, clear away any cobwebs that have formed around your sensors, and finally wash the lenses. If cleaning your sensors doesn't work, bend the sensor's bracket gently back and forth until you get it in line. Your brackets should be equipped with a light that turns on when the brackets are in alignment.
Troubleshooting your rails and sensors should take a matter of minutes; thus, you should be able to at least take these two steps before calling the professionals. However, if you have done what you can to take care of your door and your door is still not working, then it is time to call for reinforcements like SMARR GARAGE DOOR.
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