Most garage door repairs can be either routine or emergency situations. It all depends on the circumstances. Below are some of the issues we most often see when homeowners call us for urgent help.
Broken Springs
This is probably the most common emergency we deal with. Your garage door springs do the heavy lifting in your garage door system. They counterbalance the door’s weight so it can open and close smoothly. When one breaks, you’ll usually hear a loud bang, and then the door won’t budge.
Signs of a broken spring include:
- The door won’t open or only lifts a few inches
- You heard a loud snapping sound from the garage
- The door feels impossibly heavy when you try to lift it manually
- There are visible gaps in the spring
We strongly advise against trying to force the door open or fixing the spring yourself. Garage door springs are under extreme tension and can be dangerous to work with.
Off-Track Doors
When a garage door comes off its tracks, it can look pretty alarming. The door might be crooked, stuck at an angle, or making grinding noises. This happens for various reasons, such as a roller breaking, something getting caught in the track, or the door being impacted.
An off-track door is a safety hazard. It could fall or collapse without warning. If your door looks uneven or isn’t moving smoothly in its tracks, stay clear of it and give us a call.
Malfunctioning Openers
Your garage door opener combines mechanical and electronic parts, so several things can go wrong. Sometimes the motor runs but the door doesn’t move; other times the door reverses before fully closing, or it only works intermittently.
If your opener isn’t working but you can still manually close and secure your garage door, you might be okay waiting for a regular appointment. Once an opener failure means you can’t secure your home, it becomes a serious emergency.
Damaged Panels
Accidents happen! Maybe you misjudged the distance while backing out, or something fell against the door during a storm. A badly dented or cracked panel can prevent the door from opening or closing properly. If the damage is severe enough to compromise your home’s security, we can help get it fixed quickly.
Cable Problems
The cables on your garage door work together with the springs to lift and lower the door safely. When a cable breaks or comes loose, the door can become unbalanced or inoperable. This is another repair that’s best left to professionals.