Do Your Garage Door Tracks Need to Be Level?
Your garage door is one of the most used contraptions on your home’s exterior, opening and closing multiple times a day. Because it is so often used, it is important to ensure your garage door performs well and operates safely.
One of the operational aspects of your garage door you should be looking out for is the opening tracks. These can get misaligned for multiple reasons, and fixing this issue can solve any future mishaps.
Should Garage Door Tracks Be Level?
While garage doors do not have to be precisely even to the millimeter, you should try to get the tracks as level as possible. A level garage door will open much smoother and prevent complications.
Additionally, when installing a garage door opener rail, be sure it is at a 90-degree angle for proper operation. This rail should slope downward from the header bracket to the motor unit.
Why They Might Be Uneven
Just a small shift in your garage door can cause problems, even if the door is still functional. You’ll notice your garage door is uneven, slanting or sagging. The door may even make loud sounds as it opens and closes.
There can be a few reasons why your garage door tracks become uneven, including:
- Wear and tear: Over time, the structural integrity of your tracks and other operational parts can wear down from daily use.
- Collision damage: While garage door tracks are sturdy, a vehicle, lawnmower, golf cart or another heavy object can easily damage the tracks if it hits them.
- Rusted tracks: Rain, snow, dirt and other outdoor elements can build up and cause tracks to rust, which eventually shifts the tracks due to extra friction.
How Do You Fix a Misaligned Garage Door Track?
Fixing a misaligned garage door track can be challenging on your own, and an online tutorial video might not do the trick. Because of the potential dangers and damage, fixing tracks should be left to the experts.
The TF Draper team is here to assist you with any of your garage door track repairs. Our skill set is not limited to tracks — we can also fix issues like broken springs, cables and panels.
Receive Garage Door Repair From TF Draper
We understand the frustrations of a malfunctioning garage door and can be there when you need us. Contact us today for commercial or residential garage door repair in Portland, Oregon.
What to Do If Your Garage Door Won’t Open
Leaving for work this morning, you click the remote to open your garage door and nothing happens. Then you try one more time, but the door still refuses to operate. Most of the time, when your garage door won’t open, the solution is a simple hardware adjustment or part replacement. When your garage door is stuck, note any unusual sounds or odd garage door behavior and inspect the possible causes to prevent any additional damage to your system or potential safety hazards.
How to Fix Garage Doors That Won’t Open
Most garage doors are used multiple times every day as a convenient entry to our homes, so it’s common to experience garage door malfunctions or minor wear and tear. The following are common garage door problems and how you can fix them:
- Malfunctioning Garage Door Opener Remote: When you press the remote or wall-mounted door control and nothing happens, there’s likely a problem with the power or the remote battery — check that there’s no power outage in your neighborhood, that your opener is plugged in, and that the remote battery is fresh. If these issues aren’t the cause, try reprogramming your remote to the opener and check that the machine’s antenna hasn’t been damaged. Otherwise, the garage door opener motor may be damaged and the unit may need replacement.
- Garage Door Not Opening All the Way: If the garage door stops short of opening entirely, then the up-limit switch may need to be adjusted or the rollers are corroded and damaged and need replacement. The up-limit switch is a repair that typically occurs immediately after a new opener has been installed. If the limit isn’t set correctly, it will prompt the door to stop opening too early.
- Opener Motor Runs but Door Stays Closed: If you click your opener remote and the machine runs but the door stays closed, then either your red emergency disconnect switch was enabled — detaching the door from the opener — or the garage door was accidentally locked with the manual locking switch.
- Garage Door Is Stuck or Won’t Open: Garage doors that suddenly won’t open likely have a broken spring. If you’re at home when the torsion or extension spring breaks, you’ll hear a loud “bang” like a firework. With a broken garage door spring system, your opener won’t be able to lift the door and you’ll need to call a professional to inspect the door and perform a spring replacement.
Is Your Garage Door Stuck? Contact The TF Draper Company Today
When your garage door won’t open, contact the skilled and experienced technicians at The TF Draper Company to help you troubleshoot your garage door and quickly identify the issue. We’re a family-owned company with over 40 years of experience working with homeowners throughout the Greater Portland area, specializing in comprehensive garage door repairs and personalized solutions to ensure your garage door operates smoothly and efficiently for years to come.
Schedule garage door repair services today by calling 503-357-1103 to speak to a team member or complete our online contact form to request a free service estimate.
What Do I Do If My Garage Door Is Crooked?
At some point in time, every homeowner in the Portland area with a garage and garage door will experience a crooked and unbalanced garage door. This can happen for a number reasons including broken and rusted springs from the heavy and regular rain in Portland, worn down cables from use, and even broken or misaligned rollers. If you live in the Portland area and your garage door becomes misaligned, it is important to know what to do and who to call.
If your garage door is crooked, you want to address the problem right away — even if you can still get in and out of your garage. A crooked garage door is an indicator of a severe problem with your door, and if you do nothing, you will allow for additional stress that could make it harder and more expensive to fix down the road.
Furthermore, depending on what is causing your crooked garage door, it could possibly come down suddenly with someone or something underneath it, causing considerable damage.