Although it does not always get the respect that it deserves, your garage door is one of your home’s most important parts. Not only is it oftentimes essential to your house’s aesthetics, but it obviously serves a practical purpose too, allowing you entry into its interior. Here are some signs that it needs to be repaired.
1. It’s Stuck
Of course, this is one that you will be able to easily discern is a problem, when your door is stuck, either open or closed or between the two extremes. This oftentimes results from a faulty remote, meaning that it can still be opened and closed manually and that new remote batteries should do the trick. However, sometimes that does not cause the door to move. Unfortunately, in this situation, you may need to get a new door installed. Before you do that, however, see if anything is blocking it that could be moved to fix the problem.
2. It’s Slow
If your door is still closing, but it is moving much slower than had been the case previously, you might have an issue with its springs. These sometimes can be simply fixed; other times, they will need to be replaced. Another way to test the power of your springs is by manually opening or closing the door to about the midway stage and then see if it continues to fall or rise. If it does, you likely do have spring issues.
3. It Scrapes
A garage door scraping the floor, wall or ceiling is cause for concern as well. It could be off of its tracks, or another issue might be causing this to occur. Regardless of why the door is scraping something when it is opened or closed, you should get it looked at as something is amiss and may continue to get worse. Obviously, you will also want to stop damage from being caused to your floor, wall or ceiling.
4. It’s Noisy
Of course, if its noise level is similar to how it’s been ever since you got the door, this is no need for concern as older garage doors do tend to be at least somewhat noisy. However, if you want to upgrade your door to a quieter version or you have a newer door that should not be – and had not been – making that amount of noise, you should look into it and get it replaced or, in the latter case, see if it can be fixed.
5. It’s Cold/Hot Inside
If you have an older door, its ability to insulate your home is likely not nearly as good as a newer door would provide, which is reason enough to consider getting it repaired or replaced. Perhaps your older garage door does not have sealing joints, bottom seals or weather strips that newer ones do, which help reduce cooling and heating costs.
6. Its Paint is Cracked or Peeling
If your garage door is made from wood, keep an eye on its paint as cracked or peeling paint needs to be taken care of to ensure that the door is fully protected from the elements as a wooded garage door can break down and rot as time passes if it is not taken care of.
7. It’s Off Balance
This is another issue that might be the result of faulty springs, if one side of your door appears to work just fine, but the other half sags or is otherwise off balance. Although you can sometimes fix this yourself, make sure to contact a professional if you start experiencing any issues while doing so or you are unsure what to do.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list as several other indicators of garage door trouble exist as well. If you are unsure as to its continued functionability or are concerned that it is starting to lack in aesthetic appeal, make sure to call a professional to get it looked at.
Having issues with your garage door? Get in touch with New York Gates at 718-614-0616.
