Garage doors at a glance are simply the gateway into your garage. However, as any expert will tell you, the garage door is a rather complicated mechanism that needs regular attention or will eventually prove to be the most costly repair you can have in a home. Occasionally, you may move your garage door up just a bit and for some reason, the garage door won’t stay open. While many people may put this off as just the garage door acting normally, this is actually a sign of a failing door.
Don’t be alarmed however, just because a door has started to fail doesn’t mean it’s time to replace it outright, as Kennesaw Garage Door Repair in Kennesaw, GA would tell you, there are a few things you can do to possibly fix the problem without having to replace it completely.
Debris In The Track
One of the major issues that can cause a garage door to not stay open has to do with debris in the track. Luckily, this has a very easy evaluation and fix to try and you can actually do this regularly.
To understand why this could cause a problem, you’ll need to know a bit more about how garage doors operate. Essentially, garage doors are made up of a few key components: the garage door itself, the garage door springs, and a track and roller system. When any of these are out of whack, the problem of your garage staying open will arise and will need to be fixed.
To begin to see if you have any issues with debris in your tracks, close your garage door and from within the garage, look for any warping or issues in the track. If you see anything on the metal that looks out of the ordinary, this requires a different step but as long as they look the same on both sides, you can begin to look for debris.
Debris can come in the form of dirt, spider webs, or even insect nests. These accumulate overtime and if not cleaned correctly, can prevent proper garage door function. To fix this issue, you can clean the tracks using a Swiffer or broom to knock anything down and clean them as best you can. From there, try to open your garage again and see if it begins sliding down on its own. If it does, that means that debris was not the issue and it may be something a little more important.
The garage door springs are, in most garage door specialist’s opinion, the most important part of the garage door. The springs actually provide “spring force” equal to the weight of the garage door and keep it supported while moving up and down correctly. If there is any issue with them, this can easily cause the problem of keeping the garage door open.
To check for this, with the garage door closed, look to see if the springs located near the top of the door are damaged in any way. Typically the garage door springs look like giant coiled metal and in older houses may be rusted. They are meant to be in one complete piece and clearly connected to the door mechanism on the cable.
When looking at the garage door spring, if you notice a snap that makes it look like two distinct pieces or that it is significantly NOT connected to the door, this is cause to worry.
Unfortunately, no matter how savvy you are with tools, unless you are certified as a garage door repair service technician, it’s advised to not try and replace or repair a spring on your own. The spring, as mentioned earlier, is essentially the life force of the door itself. When they go, the door goes, and you’ll have to replace the whole mechanism. A specialist is capable of evaluating the spring and can maintain it perfectly so you can avoid any unnecessary damage to yourself or the door.
Garage Is Unbalanced / Misaligned
Finally, one of the hardest methods to fix on your own is an unbalanced or misaligned garage. Misalignment occurs when maintenance is neglected for an extended period of time and instead, many cycles are run on a garage door that is already in a failing state.
For instance, if you have noticed an issue in your garage door springs or debris in the track and continued to use it, your door becomes worse and worse the longer this goes on and can actually cause warping of the metal on the tracks, brackets, or even the rollers themselves.
To test for this, try to carefully do the following two tests.
First, raise your garage door to the mid height level and take a step back. If it is sliding down, that is a bad sign but you may also see that the bottom of the door itself is angled upwards or downwards. The side that is typically lower is the one with the worst spring and needs service ASAP. The other test you can do is to sit inside the garage during the day and look for any gaps in the garage, especially under the bottom. If you see a lot of light coming in from gaps in the door, this is not what is supposed to normally happen. The garage door is meant to form a seal so if a significant amount of light is seeping in from the bottom, chances are there is something wrong with your tracks that is not forming a firm seal with the ground.
What’s The Next Step?
After you’ve tried this and identified the possible cause of your door not staying open, speak with an expert. There are many technicians out there trained in garage door repair and service who are more than happy to speak with you and evaluate exactly what the issue with your door may be.
By taking a proactive approach to garage door maintenance, you can prevent any costly repairs in the future when the whole thing comes crashing down because you put it off till tomorrow. Keep your home running at its best and make sure to look for any of these telling signs today!
Article source here: Kennesaw Garage Door Repair: Garage Door Won’t Stay Open
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