If your garage door is misaligned, it can be a serious hazard to both you and your property. A misaligned door can cause serious injury or even death, so it's important to know the signs that indicate when your garage door isn't working properly. This can help you get it fixed before a disaster occurs!
1. Your garage door makes grinding noises when opening and closing
Your garage door is supposed to open and close smoothly, without a lot of noise. But if it's making grinding noises when opening or closing, that could be a sign of misalignment.
A noisy garage door can actually be dangerous—the last thing you want is for something to go wrong while you're driving down the road in your car. If your garage door makes loud grinding noises, don't try to ignore the problem. This could be a sign that your springs, cables and rollers are loose.
2. Obvious alignment problems are noticeable
When you're looking at a door that isn't aligned, you should be able to tell. Whether it's the door is not centered on the opening, or if it's not straight or level and so on, there are signs that your garage door is misaligned.
The best way to see if the door is misaligned is to prop a car up on its side and use it as a straight edge. If you notice any gaps between the car's tires and the floor or walls, this is another sign that your garage door may not be aligned properly.
3. The door closes but opens right back up
If your door is closing but not staying closed, it's most likely misaligned. After all, when you close the garage door and pull down on the door handle to open it again, the springs should be strong enough to hold the weight of the door so that it doesn't fall back down. However, if they're not strong enough to do so and you notice that there's an indentation in your garage floor where your door used to be when it was open, then chances are high that something is wrong with its alignment guide tracks.
If this happens frequently or even once every few weeks while you're trying to operate your garage door manually (as opposed to using a remote control), then chances are high that one or both of these things could be true: either there aren't enough torsion springs installed for proper torque strength or those springs have been installed improperly such that their ends don't line up with their respective brackets. In either case, this means that they're no longer able to provide sufficient power when lifting heavy objects like cars into place—which explains why they aren't able to stay out of place long enough.
4. Your garage door is out of sync with the remote control
You might think that remote control is the perfect way to open your garage door, but that’s not always true. Remote controls can be damaged by water, lose their power and become out of sync with the garage door itself.
Remote controls rely on radio frequencies to communicate with your opener. So if there are other devices or weather conditions interfering with these frequencies, it could make accessing your garage door difficult or impossible.
5. There is a problem with the garage door tracks
The tracks could be damaged by objects that get stuck in them. The most common culprit is a car, but it's possible for other objects to wedge themselves in there too. This can cause the tracks to become bent or damaged and cause them not to work properly anymore.
Another reason why your garage door may not be opening properly could be because of corrosion on the track system. The metal parts holding up the door can start rusting over time, making them weak and vulnerable to breakage while they're trying to support weighty doors hanging above your head.
How Safe is Your Garage Door?
Your garage door is an important part of your home. It keeps your belongings safe, provides safety for you and your family members, and can help maintain the value of your property. If you’re experiencing any of the signs above, it’s time to call an expert to come out and check it out—don’t risk injury or worse.
Peter and Sons can help you with all of your garage door needs. Our technicians are licensed and certified, and they provide excellent customer service. If you have any questions or concerns about our services, please feel free to reach out!
