Guidelines for Garage Door Repair

Just about every home has a garage that is outfitted with a door; therefore, at one point or another it will need to be checked up on or repaired.  A garage door is made up of two systems; the lift system or the garage door opener and the door mechanism.  In the case of a manual garage door, it only has the door mechanism which includes tracks with rollers on the sides that allows the garage door to roll open. The torsion springs of the garage door help to open the door in both door opener and manual applications and this assists in providing an effortless transition during the opening and closing on the garage door. 
 

Repairing The Garage Door

Whether they swing up in a single piece or roll up in separate pieces, overhead garage doors are operated on spring tension.  On the walls of the garage are metal tracks on which the door moves and the power is provided by heavy springs.  In the majority of cases, whenever the door does not function normally, the repairs needed are fairly simple.  Below are a few helpful guidelines as to how to carry out garage door repair:

Step 1

Scrutinize the metal tracks that are inside of the garage as well as the mounting brackets which secure the tracks to the walls.  In the event that they are loose, make the screws or bolts tighter at the brackets.  From the inside of the garage while the door is closed, inspect the tracks for crimps, flat spots or dents.  In the event that there are any spots that are damaged, use a block of wood and a hammer or a rubber mallet to pound them out.  The tracks should be replaced in the event that they are badly damaged.

Tutorial Link: There is a more in depth video of how to replace your garage door rolelrs here. If you are a serious DIY person it is worth checking out that video as well as their site and tutorials. 

Step 2

Ensure that the tracks are properly aligned by checking them with a level.  The horizontal tracks are supposed to slightly slant down toward the rear of the garage; as it relates to roll-up garage doors, the vertical tracks should be precisely plumb.  The two tracks have to be placed at the same elevation on the walls of the garage.  In case the tracks are not aligned properly, loosen the bolts or screws but do not take out the ones that are holding the mounting brackets; carefully tap the tracks into position.  Use the level to recheck the tracks to ensure that they are in the correct position, then on the mounting brackets tighten the bolts or screws.