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Like any other part of our home, a garage door can become in disrepair over time. If your garage door is broken, it no longer protects your vehicle from offenders or bad weather or makes it harder to access the garage. What’s more, a broken garage door can be dangerous.
To avoid such consequences, it pays to inspect your garage door regularly and pay attention to any changes in its operation. This article describes top garage door problems that lead to repair or replacement. You can use this information to detect the issue and solve it early.
8 Dangerous Garage Door Signs That Lead to Breakage and What to Do
Garage Door Service
If you find one or more of the following signs of the problems of garage door failure, you should do a detailed inspection of your garage door and fix the issue as soon as possible.
The garage door refuses to open or close
One of the most common signs of potential garage door replacement is the failure of your door to open and close. Once getting ready to drive to work, you simply won’t be able to open your garage and gain access to your vehicle. The cause could be a faulty opener or broken door springs. Also, it is recommended to check if any objects are blocking the movement of your garage door.
Solution
Depending on the cause of this problem, you may need different types of services. For example, a technician may offer you a garage door spring repair service after inspecting your garage door.
Cost
Spring repair costs from $100 to $300, depending on the type of spring. Garage door opener repair cost ranges from $75 to $300.
The door slips off tracks
The garage door moves along the tracks as it raises and lowers. But sometimes, the garage door can slip off the track. There can be various reasons for this, such as misalignment of the vertical and horizontal tracks and damaged rollers. Consequently, the garage door can become crooked, stuck, or even fall off.
Solution
If your garage door has come off the track, you need to have it inspected immediately, identify the cause of this malfunction, and fix it.
Cost
The cost of solving this problem depends on which part you need to repair or replace. Replacing a bent or rusted track costs between $125 to $400. If it’s in repairable condition, it will cost from $125 to $150 to fix. Replacing rollers costs $90 to $190, including professional work and new rollers.
Cords and wires are loose
Cables and cords support and power the garage door as it closes and opens. Over time, they can wear out and break unexpectedly. The first sign of a loose cable is a sagging garage door. Don’t ignore this sign because your garage door could suddenly fall and damage your car or harm anyone who happens to be under it.
Also, if the cables and cords are damaged, your garage door may stop responding to remote control commands. In that case, you will have to open and close the door manually.
Solution
To avoid severe damage, you need to have your garage door serviced. It is best to order residential garage door maintenance services. Also, a specialist will be able to replace damaged cables and cords.
Cost
A garage door cable replacement service costs between $100 and $400, including labor and materials.
The garage door makes a loud noise
A garage door is a heavy metal construction. Therefore, it can make loud noises when opening and closing it. So, why do we put this sign as the top garage door problem that leads to replacement? Because you should pay attention to the type of these sounds, as some may indicate serious damage. For example, a grating or rumble noise when the door moves may indicate that sections of the door are damaged and can’t open. Also, loud rumbling noises can result from damaged hinges, rails, and torsion springs. The danger of such breakdowns is that the door may refuse to open or close. Also, using a faulty garage door can cause serious injury to someone in your family.
Solution
The solution in such a case is a garage door inspection by a technician, repair and replacement of all defective parts. In particularly severe cases, you may need garage door replacement service.
Cost
The cause of garage door noise can be a variety of breakdowns. Therefore, the repair cost depends on what exactly you will need to replace or repair. For example, hinge replacement costs $130 to $150. Replacing the torsion spring will cost you $75 to $150. And you can pay about $1,200 to replace the entire garage door.
The garage gets cold quickly
A garage protects your vehicle not only from theft or damage, but also from the negative impact of the weather. If the garage door is not airtight, heat will escape quickly, and cold air will constantly be coming in. Consequently, your car will always be in a cold and humid room, which can cause damage to your vehicle over time. In this case, to keep your garage warm, you will need more energy to heat it and, therefore, higher winter energy bills.
Solution
To avoid this, you need to carefully seal the garage door.
Cost
You can pay between $170 to $490 for garage door sealing by a professional, including labor. This amount depends on the size and type of garage door, as well as the type of seal.
The garage door opens and closes slowly
Another sign of garage door problems that lead to breakage is the long response time of the garage door. A good functioning garage door should close and open within a few seconds after the opener is pressed. Delays in door movement can indicate broken springs, tracks, rollers, and hinges. In turn, the breakage of these parts can cause the garage door to come to a complete stop.
Solution
If your door has a slow response time, it is worth thoroughly inspecting the garage door. If necessary, replace the springs, and apply lubrication to the tracks and rollers.
Cost
Garage door spring repair costs $100 to $300.
The garage door opener is broken
If the opening device does not work, you will not be able to open or close the garage door. You will have to do it manually, which is not convenient.
Solution
If the garage door does not open when you press the opening device, you should first diagnose the problem more accurately. It is best to call a garage door repair specialist for this.
Cost
Opening device repairs cost between $250 and $500. This cost usually includes a new opening device and labor to replace it.
Sagging of the garage door
Strong sagging can cause the garage door to be unbalanced. As a result, the cable and wires may weaken. This can lead to problems with opening and closing the garage door.
Solution
At least once a month, you need to check the garage door balance. For this, you need to disable the garage door opener and try to open or close it manually. In this case, you need not close the garage door entirely but leave it halfway. If it cannot stay in this position and closes completely, it can indicate spring failure.
Cost
The cost of replacing garage door springs depends on their type. You will pay from $75 to $150 to replace one torsion spring, and $50 to $100 per spring for an extension type.
At first glance, what’s the big deal if the door is a little slower to open or a little misaligned? But as you can see, these dangerous garage door signs lead to breakage. So it is better to pay attention to these signs and contact a technician at once.
An experienced technician will find the solution quickly and tell you how often should the garage doors be serviced in the future.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve described a few common indicators that you have a broken garage door. The earlier you notice them, the easier it will be for you to fix the issue. In some cases, you may be able to repair it on your own, but for tasks like installing an opener or replacing your garage door, it’s better to call in an experienced technician.
Consider STI Garage Door Your Trusted Partner
Garage Door Service
Should you repair the garage door yourself or call a professional? If you have enough experience and all the necessary tools, you can make repairs without specialist help. But do not forget about your safety. A garage door is a heavy metal construction that is under voltage, and by delegating this task to a technician, you can avoid risks to your life and health. In addition, an experienced professional will be able to diagnose the problem more accurately. After all, you may not notice some minor signs that your garage door is broken.
If you need help repairing or replacing your garage door, our experts will be happy to provide it. We offer our services in many states across the US, so you can rely on our support no matter where you live. Our experts can perform these types of jobs:
- Garage door installation
- Garage door replacement
- Garage door maintenance
- Various types of garage door repairs, such as: repairing sensors, remotes, keypads, lubricating metal parts, repairing and replacing cables, springs, pulleys, garage door motors, etc.
- Garage door opener installation, replacement, and repair.
We will help you to solve your problem quickly. Leave a request on our website at any time of the day, and within 24 hours, our team member will contact you.
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