Below you will learn about the basics of garage door repair, as well as how to maintain your garage door so that it doesn’t need to be repaired! These are problems that are relatively easy to fix and update, but you may find yourself needing the help of a professional. In that case, give your local garage door repair company a call, such as this Omaha-based garage door repair company.
Garage Door Frozen Shut
If you live in a cold place or a place with extreme winters, like Omaha, Nebraska, you may experience this problem. You wake up early and try to back out of your garage, only to find that the door won’t open. Perhaps it is frozen shut. If there’s lots of ice around your garage door preventing it from opening, start chipping away at it. You can also use boiling water to melt the ice, just make sure to be careful not to burn yourself.
Clean Your Garage Door Opener
Your garage door opener might need to be cleaned if you haven’t done it in a while, or if you’ve never done it. Check it out to see if it’s covered in dust and grime or if there’s excess oil build-up on the moving parts. If there is, simply take a rag and a mild all-purpose cleaner and give it a nice cleaning.
Clean Your Garage Door Tracks
The tracks of your garage door might need cleaning as well, although your garage door opener needs to be cleaned more frequently. But if there’s a lot of dirt and dust built up on your garage door tracks, it can prevent it from being properly lubricated, allowing the garage door to slide nicely up and down. If this is the case, it causes a lot of wear to both the tracks and your garage door. Run a wet rag along the tracks to clean them up a bit.
Keep Garage Door Tracks in Place
Make sure that the tracks and your garage door are properly aligned. Sometimes they can fall out of alignment, causing your garage door to open in a shaky, loud manner. This gets worse and worse until your garage door can no longer open, so make sure it’s not happening to you.
Tighten Brackets and Screws
The brackets and screws on both your garage door track and opener could be loose. Check to make sure, and if any parts need tightening, get them in place and tighten until they feel stable. This will help your garage door open smoothly and prevent further problems.
Rusted Parts
The metal parts of your garage door, such as the parts on your garage door opener, the tracks on which it runs, and the brackets on the door itself can wear and rust. If they are starting to rust, just take a rust remover and clean them up. If they are rusted beyond repair, you might need to replace them.