Whether it be the safety of your car or protecting your various items from the outside world, Garages come in quite handy. Where there is a garage, there is a garage door. Sadly, problems and garage doors go hand in hand.
Regardless of where you live in the world, if you have a garage, your garage door is bound to require repairing or troubleshooting at one day or another. Here are four of the most common problems that arise with garage doors and ways you can address them.
- Misalignment of the photo eye
All the 90’s kids would remember the dangerous game of trying to run underneath the garage door before it closed. Considering how damaging such instances can be, garage door manufacturers started making doors with photo eyes on the side of the entrance. These photo eyes relay a transparent light that helps to detect the presence of anything when the door is closing. This is why automatic garage doors can’t close on top of someone or your car.
However, a common problem that arises with garage doors is that these photo eyes tend to get misaligned. This might render a door incapable of closing at all since it detects blockage even when the path is clear. You don’t necessarily need a garage door repair for this issue. Instead, cleaning the photo-eye can help in solving this problem. This is because the accumulation of dirt causes the light of the photo eye to be blocked. When cleaning, make sure not to make any scratches to the lens.
Let’s say the photo-eyes have been cleaned and yet the door isn’t closing properly; then you must check the alignment of the photo eyes. Make sure they are pointing towards the same angle and direction. A great way to do so is measuring the height of the eye from the ground and ensuring that they are the same for both the photo eyes. Use a level to ensure that they are pointing in the same direction. If still, the problem persists, you might want to get a professional on board.
- Broken garage door seal
A broken garage door seal can cause quite a lot of inconvenience. The garage door seal, which is also known as weather stripping, is the element that guarantees that water, debris, insects, and dirt do not enter the garage. In case the garage door seal gets damaged, you might as well welcome mother nature into your garage.
While this is quite a common problem as far as garage doors are concerned, the good news is that garage door seals are easily replaceable. If you are good at home maintenance work, you can do it on your own. For lasting results, it is best to seek the services of a professional. Regardless of how you choose to fix the issue, the fact remains that there are many garage-specific kits available that deliver weatherstripping seal, caulking gun and adhesive. Not to mention that the equipment is not expensive either.
- The transmitter doesn’t work
Sometimes garage door transmitters just don’t work correctly. The reason can be as simple as trying to make it work beyond its reach or because of issues in the product itself. In the case of the former, all you need to do is only use the transmitter once you enter the range of the product.
However, if you are within the range of the transmitter and your garage door still doesn’t open, then there might be something wrong in the wiring of the transmitter. Check the antenna to detect any blockages that might be stopping it from working. Also, check to see if it requires replacement due to damage.
Let’s say your garage doors automatically opens and closes without you pressing the button of the transmitter; then it means that the entire unit might need replacing. Before seeking help, make sure that the issue isn’t because the transmitter’s button is stuck. If not, the product might require reprogramming or replacing.
- Misalignment of the track
In case your door is off track, it will have trouble in sliding correctly. In the worst case scenario, it won’t even budge or move at all. To detect misalignment of the track, look for a rubbing sound when you try to open or close the door.
In case the sound exists, try to identify gaps, bumps or bends in the metal track. To combat the issue, make the screws that help in linking the frame to the track loose. Tap back the track into its proper position and then retighten the screws back.
Conclusion
Various other problems may arise in a Garage door. However, knowing how to deal with these four will save you from a lot of hassle.
