An automatic garage door can make it easier to access your garage space with ease. Although automatic doors are a must for any modern garage, these doors can quickly turn into a serious safety hazard when they are not maintained properly.
Here are three warning signs that you can be watching for to identify when your garage door is failing so that you can have the door repaired in order to retain its function and performance over time.
1. Sagging of the garage door when it has been closed.
When you close your automatic garage door, the door should lower smoothly and rest in a taut position. If you notice that your door suddenly starts taking on a sagging appearance when closed, this could be a sign that the door is going to fail in the near future.
Sagging garage doors are often caused by faulty springs. When the springs become worn or start to stretch out, they can no longer bear the weight of the garage door with ease. Eventually the spring will fail completely, causing the garage door to slam down violently. Be sure to replace your springs if your garage door starts sagging.
2. Lurching or stuttering when the door opens or closes.
If your garage door is not longer opening or closing with a smooth and methodical motion, then this could be a sign the door is about to fail. To identify the source of the problem, pull the emergency release lever to activate the manual operating capabilities on your garage door.
If you are unable to manually open or close the door smoothly, you could have faulty tracks or rollers. If the door opens and closes properly when you operate it manually, your automatic opener is in need of repair.
3. The wall switch and remote no longer activate your garage door.
If you have tried pressing the open or close buttons on your wall switch and remote without success, then you need to check the circuit board in your automatic opening unit. These units are delicate pieces of electrical equipment, and any electrical surges could damage their circuit boards and render them useless.
Contacting an experienced garage door repair technician is your best option when it comes to restoring functionality to your wall switch and remote.
Being able to identify when your garage door is failing will help you make the repairs needed to ensure you always have access to a functional automatic garage door in the future.