Garage doors are the biggest and most used mechanisms at home. Sometimes, even with the best kind of materials, parts of garage doors can be damaged. One of the most common damages that can happen to your garage door is its tracks that may have gone off-track. If it does, stop using it and make sure to have them fixed immediately. A malfunctioning garage door can cause a lot of serious damage and accidents if left broken.
Fortunately, fixing an off-track garage door can be as simple as checking and replacing the rollers. It can easily be done without the help of a professional and it will only take a few minutes of your day. Although, it is highly recommended that other parts of the garage door be checked as well. There might be other parts you’ll need to fix to avoid further damage in the future.
Knowing how to fix your garage door is an important skill to have. It is important to invest your knowledge on things like this to save yourself from loads of cost and damage. Here’s a quick guide on fixing your garage doors if you plan on doing them yourself.
1. Give Your Garage Doors a Thorough Assessment
This is the most important thing to do before anything else. Make sure that you have paid attention to every movement and sound coming from your garage door. Does the mechanism seem to look symmetrical or does one side seem loose? Does it seem like its having a hard time to move up and down? Is it just the rollers that are making it off track? Doing this helps you determine which parts you’ll need to focus on and which parts might need repairs.
2. Adjust and Tighten the Hardware
Garage doors get used for more than a thousand times in a year. This puts a lot of strain on the mechanism from all the movement and vibration, making the roller brackets and bolts loose. This can severely cause damage to the tracks of your garage door if left loose. You can use a socket wrench to tighten these the next time you do a quick check.
3. Check the Balance and Symmetry of the Mechanism
Making sure that your garage door is completely balanced will lessen the load on the tracks and other parts of the mechanism every time it is used. This will help prolong the life of your garage door if properly assessed.
First, you have to detach the garage door opener. Then, pull the emergency handle and manually offload the door up halfway. It should stay put if your springs are balanced, if it doesn’t stay in its position or it looks uneven, you should probably have it repaired. Depending on the type of garage door mechanism you have, this might be a bit hard to work on, very rarely is this handled by inexperienced people since this could affect other parts of the mechanism as well. We highly suggest that you get help from a professional especially if you are not skilled or have no proper tools to do this repair.
4. Check the Rollers
Often, an off-track garage door stems from the rollers. These parts usually go together and affect each other over time. Rollers can actually go off track very easily especially if the rollers used are not perfectly compatible with the mechanism. There are plenty of ways to check whether a roller is fit for your garage door or not. It’s very easy to determine this, you’ll just need the right measurements and type of material.
These rollers (steel or nylon) could crack or wear out from all of the up and down movement of the door. If you have cracked or worn-out rollers, make sure to replace them immediately as this could cause other parts of the mechanism to break as well. This is very easy to do as you just have to remove and reinstall any broken roller that is not directly attached to the cable.
5. Tighten Tracks That May Have Come Loose
If rollers aren’t your issue, you might want to check your tracks for some repair and replacement. Your tracks are where your rollers ‘roll’ and having a loose track may cause damage to your garage door. Make sure to check your tracks if it is properly attached to the wall. You may use a socket wrench to tighten the loose brackets.
6. You Tracks Might Need Lubrication
You’ll be surprised to know that one of the most common causes of a garage door going off-track is its lack of lubrication on its ball bearings. To keep your garage door rolling smoothly, make sure to lubricate is once every 3 months. You can use a spray lubricant or powdered graphite, just make sure to keep in mind that you’re not supposed to get oil on the nylon rollers and most importantly, do not use lubrication when using plastic rollers. Instead, you may opt to replace them to make sure that your rollers are in its best condition possible.
7. Your Tracks are Dented or Have Been Damaged
Another thing to check is if your tracks have been damaged in some parts. Tracks are unexpectedly very delicate and could even be dented with a light and small tool. If this is the case, assess and notice when your garage door is making a sound when you open and close it. This might be where your track is damaged.
Smaller dents are easy to fix, you will just need a rubber mallet and slight use of force to fix it. If you do not have a rubber mallet, a hammer or a piece of sturdy wood will do, but keep in mind that you will have to be very careful as this might create even larger damage. Larger dents, on the other hand, might need a total replacement and doing so, might need a few hours of your day to replace your tracks.
8. Seek the Help of A Professional
While replacing your rollers can typically be DIY-ed at home, it is still recommended to seek a professional’s help. You might just realize that you’ll be needing more than a roller replacement. Asking help from a professional might cost a lot more money but it can help you prevent more damage in the future and put your mind at ease.
How to Repair a Damaged Track
While this is not advisable for anyone who has no background or knowledge of mechanisms especially with a big one like garage doors, it can be a great start to know your way around garage doors and when it goes off track. Now that you’ve located which part of the track has damage, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to fix your tracks.
Step 1: Disable the Automatic Mechanism
Notice the string that’s hanging in your garage? Pulling that disables the automatic mechanism of your garage door making it easy for you to open in manually. Once you’ve pulled the string and disabled the mechanism, it is important to note that this also disables the lock on your garage door, so ensure that your main doors are locked when you plan to do other things before fixing your tracks.
Step 2: Manually Open the Garage Doors
Once you’ve disabled the mechanism, manually open the garage door up until the track which needs repair is exposed. Then, secure the garage door in place with clamps or locking pliers.
Step 3: Repair the Broken Tracks
After you’ve opened the garage door, open the track using a pair of pliers to return the rollers in place. Afterward, use a rubber mallet and slight force to mold the tracks back in place.
Step 4: Check the Door’s Movement
Once you’ve put the rollers back in place, remove the clamps and grips to check the movement of the garage door. First, manually check the up and down movement if it goes smoothly. Then, reconnect the garage door to the console and check the movement again. It should be moving smoothly, otherwise, you’ll have to double-check the repaired part or other parts as well
Note
It is important to note that there might be another factor that’s affecting the uneven movement of your garage door such as a cord snapping or another part might have been torn out or cracked. Have your garage doors immediately checked if this is the case, otherwise, your door might fall completely and cause further repairs.
As a homeowner, having the ability to fix your garage door is a very impressive and important skill to have. It can lower your costs as maintenance like this can cost a lot of money. Make sure you’ve followed all the important reminders and instructions above to ensure that your house’s garage door is far from any further casualties. If all else fails, it’s best to get help from professionals and pass on the maintenance and repairs to them.
