To avoid the headache of getting your overhead garage door fixed; which is a tedious process, get it checked regularly as it has a lot of components and all its components should be properly inspected for potential problems. Whenever the overhead garage door starts malfunctioning, the chief cause could be one of the listed items below. The door could be binding during its movement due to the loosening of its screws or also because of the rollers getting misaligned, or because of dirt accumulation or corrosion of the hinges and rollers the movement of the lift could be getting restricted.
Though there may be many brands, overhead garage doors are of just two categories. The two types are firstly a single piece door with a light and rigid panel which moves in unison and a sectional variety which has many horizontal panels joined using movable hinges which fold along with their movement and secondly there is a variety of sectional doors which are similar but have a more complex mechanism. Either way, periodic maintenance of both the models is a must.
The first step while inspecting the door is to check the hardware and the hinges, rollers and brackets. Check the screws and bolts for any wrong fitting. A weakly fixed screw with broken threads should be removed and a carriage bolt should be used instead. Create an opening for the carriage bolt in the door and put it in it, after that use a nut and washer to hold it from the inside.
The proper functioning of the door rollers should be verified by checking the alignment of the spindles and the door seams. Damaged rollers should be removed and new ones should be put in place. The oiling of the spindles, roller bearings and also the pins inside the door hinges must be performed semi-annually.
Garage doors, which are overhead, open or close by moving along a metal track. Garage doors which consist of a single unit have a suspended pair of tracks. Tracks for the sectional garage door are similar but they bend into a vertical shape as the slide downwards. The door is held in place and on course by using a set of rollers mounted on brackets.
Cleanliness of tracks is a must and the linearity of the plumbing as well as the tracks should be taken care of. To have a regular and smooth movement of the door the rollers should move properly and there shouldn't be any bends in the track. Dirt particles may cause the rollers to get stuck.
The horizontal section should be straight and the vertical part should be plumbed. The tracks should be spaced apart in such a way that they are parallel to each other. If they are not correctly aligned, use a wrench to loosen the holding brackets, and then gently tap the tracks into place.
Tighten the track bracket after the adjustments have been made. The tracks should be kept lubricated using preferably a silicone base but only after they have been properly wipe clean. Heavy duty springs are connected to the doors employing a braided cable. The ease of movement is considerably increased.
If the springs are adjusted correctly, the spring tension will keep the door in place when the bottom of the door is within three feet of the ground. If raised above that level, the door should slowly raise by itself. Before undoing the spring for maintenance, check the other components for functioning and lubrication.
The S hook which is at the end of the braided cable is what is responsible for all adjustments made to the tension spring. The hooks fit into openings on both sides of the door which have holes in a bracket. Use clamps or blocks to mount the door. The adjustment of the hooks should be made in such a way that both the adjustments are mirrored on both sides.
The torsion spring has an internal ratchet mechanism which can be adjusted by inserting an iron rod into a slot. The process may seem simple but it is actually a highly risky procedure. It is advisable to let a professional handle these adjustments.
