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FIX GARAGE DOOR PROBLEMS
BEFORE THEY CAUSE YOU PROBLEMS
It may be time to inspect and possibly fix garage door components if your garage door is rattling, squeaking, or is misaligned. Take a close look and see if anything seems loose or is shaking as you press the remote up and down. Often, if there is a problem, its something a homeowner can fix.
Check Out the Metal Tracks
To inspect and possibly fix garage door problems yourself, first check out the metal tracks if you have a roll-up door (see below). Make sure mounting brackets are tight. Also, make sure there are no crimps or obstructions along the track and the inside of the track (where the rollers are) is clean.
In fact, you can often fix garage door problems simply by cleaning up and lubricating the tracks, moving parts and the rollers. Household cleaners can be used to remove grease and dirt from tracks. Spread tarps to catch the drips and use an old small paint brush to get into tight areas. Lubricant sprays made specifically for garage doors are best, but you can also use powdered graphite, silicone spray or household oil.
Check All The Hardware
 Another simple thing a homeowner can do to fix a garage door is tighten all the hardware on the door. Make sure nothing is loose and tighten anything you find that is. If you have a swing-up door (right), check the plates where the spring is mounted. Listen for squeaks as you raise and lower it. Oil anything that moves. Don't overdo, but make sure the oil gets to the parts.
 A roll-up door (the vast majority of powered garage doors in the US - right) is made up of several horizontal sections held together by hinges. Every hinge should be oiled periodically. Clean and oil the chain or main screw every few years, too. Remember that each part that moves has an effect on the whole. If a part binds or crimps or drags, it negatively impacts everything.
Sometimes plates are wood-screwed to the wall or a section of wood. If those screws are loose, its because the hole became enlarged caused by vibration or shaking. See if you can tell what's wrong. Use a longer screw to replace the one you took out or coat the old screw with Liquid Nails® or wood putty and gently screw it back in along with the other screws and don't use the door for 24 hours.
Look at the Springs
 Trying to fix garage door problems can be serious if a spring is broken. Swing-up doors have a spring on either side that is hooked into notches or holes. Roll-up doors have two tension springs wound tightly just above the door opening. If one of these springs break (image right), you cannot open the door!
Garage door motors don't lift your heavy garage door, which can weigh over 200 pounds. They simply move it from closed to open because the springs have made the door virtually weightless.
Unless you're a daredevil looking for adventure, you might want to leave this repair to the pros! The heavy duty springs on a garage door are dangerous and dirty and it only costs about $150-$250 to have a professional deal with the problem. But if you'd like to save a few hundred, search fix broken garage spring on YouTube and decide if you're up to it.
 If not, or you'd like to do something much more aggressive with your garage, like turn it into a bedroom, home office or add a bay or upgrade, click the image (left) to get free quotes from licensed contractors in your area.
Fix garage door problems as you find them is always the best way to go. Of course, if you press your garage door remote and nothing happens, the problem may be really simple. You may need to just replace the batteries!
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