If your garage door is clanking, catching, or crashing, you might be wondering what kind of garage door repair service you need. Here at Lenny’s Garage in Louisville KY, we’ve seen all kinds of garage door issues and are here to help!
In this article, we’ll cover the services that we get called out for most often and how you can know when you need them for your door. And when you’re ready for a professional diagnosis, give us a call so that we can come give your door a closer look.
While it may only seem like a difference of a few seconds, a slow moving garage door can cost you valuable time in your daily routine, whether you’re on your way to work or coming home after a long day.
Plus, every moment that your garage door is open leads to energy loss that can accumulate over time!
There are a few different potential causes for a sluggish garage door, including old or rusted hardware or a speed setting that is too low. Issues with the motor or torsion spring can also sometimes be to blame for this common problem.
A professional garage door adjustment can get to the bottom of your door’s slowness so that you can get your valuable time back!
If you notice that your door closes at an angle, or tends to catch and then fall instead of moving in a smooth trajectory, there are a variety of issues that could be to blame.
Sometimes, one side of the garage door will find resistance along the track, leading it to move at a different speed than the other side of the door. This can lead to uneven closing that can damage the door panels or other hardware and put undue strain on the motor.
Other times, issues with the torsion spring are the reason why the door doesn’t open or close at the same rate on both sides.
Every once in a while, the issue is with the garage floor itself. Issues with the concrete shifting or settling unevenly can lead to gaps underneath part of the garage door when it’s closed. This can lead to constant energy loss as well as a security vulnerability and potential for pests.
Another common problem that you might find with your garage door is that it doesn’t reliably finish its closing cycle. It might get halfway or close to closing before reversing course and opening again. You can see why this would be especially dangerous if you tend to drive away before the door is completely closed, as your garage will be left open.
This typically points to an issue with the sensors, which should always be one of the garage door repair services that you leave up to the pros. That’s because the sensors are one of the most important safety features of your garage door and as such, you want to make sure that they are always in full working order.
Maybe your garage door is working more or less normally but making unpleasant noises during the opening or closing cycle. This can range from screeching, scraping, and grating to popping noises.
And, in most cases these sounds suggest that the metal components of your garage door need a thorough cleaning or lubricating. The good news is, this is a task that most homeowners can do on their own. But, if you continue to hear loud noises even after a DIY tune-up, then it will be time to call in a garage door specialist. We’ll take a look at the torsion spring, rollers, tracks, and drive chain or belt to find out where the problem is.
Sitting in your driveway waiting for the garage door to respond to you can be frustrating, to say the least. And maybe you’ve already tried changing the battery in your garage door remote and the signal is still not going through.
There could be an issue, here, with the remote itself, the sensors, or the garage door motor. Our garage door specialists can run a variety of tests to get the remote working again so that you’re not left out in the cold!
Maybe you’ve noticed a change in your energy bill and are wondering if an issue with your garage door may be the culprit. Indeed, a garage door can be a potentially major source of energy loss, especially if it’s not sealed properly. And this can happen as a result of some of the issues we’ve named on this list, such as uneven door closing or unfinished closing cycles.
But, energy loss can also come from damaged weather stripping along the bottom or your door, insufficient insulation in the door panels, or undue strain on the opener motor. Because there are many different potential sources of energy loss, it’s important to look for damage in multiple parts of the garage door system.
Finally, one of the most common garage door repair requests we get is for damage to the door. This can happen when a stray baseball goes through the window or a strong storm blows a tree limb into the door panel. And, even though many homeowners feel embarrassed to admit it, it’s also quite common to see garage door damage from accidents with cars, either because the driver backed up without opening the garage door or perhaps hit the gas instead of the brake as they were pulling into the driveway.
In the case of this type of damage, we make sure to inspect not only the visibly damaged area but also the entire system to see whether the tracks, drive belt, weather seal or other components have also been affected.
We’ve covered a range of different problems that can arise with your garage door, and you might be wondering which of them you can solve without the help of a professional. If you have some DIY experience, you can likely accomplish the following upkeeping tasks on your own:
On the other hand, we would strongly suggest calling a garage door specialist for:
Here at Lenny’s Garage Door, we can help with general maintenance tasks as well as garage door repair services! Give us a call and we’ll head to your home in Clifton, Douglass Loop, Shively, and anywhere else in the Louisville area!