Automated garage doors are convenient when they work correctly. If you have ever lived in a home with a door not powered by electricity, you know how difficult it can be to raise such a heavy door. All the parts that make up, have a specific lifespan. Because of the wear and tear these parts experience, you should expect that you will have to repair something at some point.
Why a Repair Is a Necessity
Your garage is probably attached to one side of your home, meaning it has a door that gives you (and others) access to the interior of your home. You lock that door every time you leave and come home. Once a would-be thief realizes your door is not closing all the way, he will sneak into your garage and try that entry door.
Because the door is located inside your garage, you and the home-builder may not have worried about putting on a strong lock. A determined thief needs only seconds to break through that door to get into your home.
Think about what you have stored in your garage-tools and yard equipment. You may also have other marriages stashed there to save space inside your home. Again, a thief wanting your marriages will not have to look far for your valuables. If only for security, you need a qualified professional to come in, diagnose what is wrong and quickly fix it.
What Seems to Be Wrong
A heavy metal track guides your garage as it is opened and closed. If that track gets warped, the door may not open or close completely. If any track fittings are loose, these can block the door from opening or closing correctly. Use a tall ladder to help you see into the track because it may be clogged with the heavy grease that coats it. In cold winter months, that grease actually expends. The track and the guide on the garage door became misaligned as a result.
All automatic doors have to be lubricated, but you can not use just any grease or oil. Instead, professionals will use lithium grease, which is an aerosol. While oil is a lubricant, it will run, causing stains on the floor of your garage. Regular grease is too heavy and can attract dirt, which will clog the track. Lithium grease does none of this.
If the sensors are not properly aligned, the door can not close completely. Look at the sensors. If one is blinking, something is wrong. A repairman can check the alignment as well as the wiring for the sensors. By tightening the wiring, this realigns the sensors. The line of sight between the sensors could also be blocked. Once that blockage is removed, the sensors "see" each other and resume functioning together.
Reasons a Professional is Needed
Once you know your garage door is not closing fully, you need to call a garage door company and request a repair. When a repair-person comes out to your house, he or she will ask you to describe everything that is happening. He or she will be able to isolate the cause and make the needed repairs for you. Because of howicate a door's part can be, it's best to leave the repairs to a professional.