Garage Door Repair - Tracks
Friday, August 12, 2011
Something wrong with your garage door?It could be a number of things, but never
fear – most are easily fixable.If you
have an overhead garage door, regardless of whether it rolls up in sections or
swings up in one piece, it works on the principle of spring tension.That is, it is pulled by a heavy spring or
springs along a metal track in order to open the door.
The first thing you will want to check if you are having
trouble with your garage door is the metal tracks inside the garage.A lot of the simplest problems to solve stem
from the tracks, and they can be fixed through a series of steps.While the garage door is closed, check to see
if they are mounted properly.If they
are loose, tighten the bolts or screws that hold the brackets into place.Next, check the track for dents, crimps, or
flat spots.You can sometimes use a
mallet or hammer in order to pound out the damaged spots, but if the damage is
too severe you may want to replace the entire track.
If none of these are the problem, make sure that the track
is properly aligned.You would be able
to check this with a level.Both tracks
need to be the same height on the garage wall.Horizontal tracks should slant slightly down near the back of the
garage.With roll up tracks, they should
be exactly vertical.If the tracks are
not aligned properly, try to loosen the tracks from their mounting brackets and
tap them carefully into position.Recheck them with a level.Once
they are in a proper position, retighten the bolts or screws that hold them in
place.
Once you are sure that the tracks are straight and in line,
you can clean them with concentrated household cleaner to remove any dirt or
grease.Make sure to clean the rollers
that are on the track as well, as they can track more dirt onto the tracks and
fix the problems you just solved.Next,
lubricate both the tracks and rollers using garage door lubricant spray or
powdered graphite in the tracks, and household oil or silicone spray on the
rollers.
Once this is done you are ready to check and see if the
garage door is opening again.If there
are still problems with the door, it may have to do with the plates, hinges, or
springs, or even the opener.But never
fear – there are some other simple fixes for home!
Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/repair/how-to-repair-a-garage-door.htm
United Garage Doors Staff
8/12/2011 4:58:00 PM
Add your comments:
Items in bold indicate required information.