How to Identify Problems with Your Garage Door in Denver

Heading out the door into your garage, running late for work, you hit the button to raise the garage door. Nothing happens. You push it again, a little bit harder this time. Still nothing. The garage door won’t lift up and your car is stuck in your garage. Panic sets in as you try to remember how to manually override the electric opener.

How many of us have experienced this exact situation?

We don’t realize how much we depend on our garage doors to perform correctly until something goes wrong unexpectedly.

The five most common complaints/problems regarding garage doors are:

1. My door will not go up or down.

The number one complaint of homeowners is “my garage door won’t go up (or down).” This all-too-common problem

can be caused by any number of reasons. Doors should be serviced by a trained professional at least one time per year, and routine maintenance should prevent your door from getting stuck. A more serious problem that could be occurring is torsion system failure which requires a trained professional’s immediate attention.

If your door will not go down, this is most likely a safety-eye (electric eye) issue; however, failure to maintenance your door can cause problems and, if ignored, the door can lose cable tension and fall. If this ever happens to you, call a service professional immediately at 303-565-6409.

2. My door is noisy.

Again, this common problem is caused from failure to service the door properly. Often, parts on a door suffer excessive wear and tear due to poor maintenance. If a door becomes noisy it is recommended that a garage door service professional inspect the condition of the wearable parts and service the parts as well. Lubricating the door to prevent the noise is a temporary solution; however, once a noise becomes apparent there are probably some bad parts that need replacing.

3. I just ran into my garage door.

This is one on the list that has nothing to do with how old or new, how ignored or well-maintained your garage door is. Accidents happen. Call a professional, and please, be careful.

4. My door is off the tracks.

This happens more than you might think, and is usually the result of the homeowner not having the garage door professionally serviced. This is the worst-case scenario of what happens when you ignore the largest, heaviest moving part of your home that is used every day. Have your garage door serviced professionally once a year to reduce the risk of malfunction.

5. Something is wrong with my door.

And finally, the fifth most common complaint about garage doors is the general “something is wrong with my door.” This could mean anything from opener issues to door issues. If the door has not been serviced professionally it is a good idea to schedule that regular maintenance.

Are there specific problems related to our colder climate in the winter?

Denver’s cold weather can be your garage door’s enemy for several reasons. Doors are used more often in cold weather. More use equals more risk. Garage doors and openers are made with metal parts. Metal parts tighten up in cold weather which can cause a door that is in need of service to run even more poorly. Springs, which are made of metal, can become brittle in cold weather increasing the risk of failure. Garage door weather seal can freeze to the ground. Garage door openers also have plastic components in them that can get brittle and break.

Easy fix: Call Us at One Clear Choice Doors

If you are experiencing any of the above problems with your garage door and/or opener, the best way to find out if there is an “easy fix” is to have the problem diagnosed by a garage door service professional. Call a reputable garage door company to set up an appointment. Most companies charge around $69 to make a service call to your home just to diagnose the problem. One Clear Choice Garage Doors, servicing Denver and the surrounding areas, does not charge a fee to visit your home and diagnose the problem. We only charge if we end up performing service on your door. When our service technician arrives at your home, ask questions. Find out if the problem should be handled professionally or if you can complete the job as a homeowner. And finally, remember this: things go wrong with garage doors. Don’t panic. There are people trained to help you make it out the door in the morning and get to work on time.