Garage door damage can be a safety risk, leaving your valuables in the garage completely exposed. A broken garage door is also an issue for curb appeal, hurting the value of your home and potentially causing issues with your neighbors. Here are some very common types of garage door damage we see homeowners deal with:
Broken Garage Door Springs & Cables
If you’re having problems with your garage door, it’s likely because of a problem with the springs. The springs are made of steel and exert a lot of tension on the rest of the mechanism. Over time they break, especially if you aren’t regularly performing garage door spring maintenance.
Due to the immense torsion they provide, garage door springs are often one of the most common components in a garage door to weaken and fail over time. Regular maintenance of your garage door spring is key to prevent more issues from cropping up over time.
A garage door cable is a threaded steel cable that runs between the drum and the trolley. The cable is attached to the trolley and the drum, providing power to return your garage door up and down when you run it manually. While all cables have some degree of elasticity, over time they will stretch out which can cause breakage issues over time as well as problems such as slipping out of place due to shifting weight distribution from one side versus another side.
Broken Garage Door Chain or Garage Door Chain off Track
Often, the sprocket holding the chain will break over time, though chain corrosion is possible as well. If the chain comes off the track, it may be due to the springs that hold up the garage door becoming weak or broken. It is also possible the the springs do not have enough tension to keep everything tight.
Garage door springs and cables weakening over time can cause your garage door chain to fall off the track, causing more issues over time.
The Garage Door Track is Out of Alignment
A garage door track is the metal frame that holds your garage door in place. Your track can become misaligned if something suddenly hit it or if you just had a strong storm come through. It can also happen when over time, the springs attaching your garage door to its tracks get worn out, causing them to sag unevenly.
If your track is out of alignment, this can cause more issues over time as the parts are unevenly balanced.
Other Common Reasons
While the above three are the biggest causes of malfunction, these other common reasons could be the reason for a broken garage door.
Auto Accidents
Putting the car into the wrong gear, many homeowners have accidentally hit the gas, only to go the wrong direction and slam into the garage door. This can severely dent panels or knock the garage door of the tracks. Sometimes, drivers will also start to enter or leave before the door is fully up, hitting the door blindly with the top of their car.
Denting & Scratching
Hockey pucks, golf balls—there are many things that can hit a garage door and cause visible damage. For more information on what to do if you scratch or dent your garage door, check out our article Is Your Steel Garage Door Scratched or Dented? Here’s What to Do.
Severe Weather Damage
Cold Oklahoma winters can lead to snapped springs or fallen trees that cause panel damage.
Garage Door Engine Issues
Over time the motor can go bad. You may notice loud noises or the opener may stop responding completely. Make sure you check out these potential issues to troubleshoot.
Garage Door Sensor Issues
Eventually, your sensors will go bad and need to be replaced. While sometimes it might be just a misalignment of the sensors or something (like evening sunlight) causing a visual block, sometimes they need to be replaced.
Door Balance Issues
If the door gets off-kilter or crooked, then raising or lowering your door can be really hard on the motor and other garage door parts.
Rusting
Hinges, springs, tracks and chains call all rust on the garage door, especially without regular care.
Inclement Weather Damage
Garage doors can be damaged from old weather stripping breaking down or water penetrating the surface (especially for wooden garage doors). Over time, water can destroy the parts or door as a whole.
Broken Locks
For garage doors that don’t use an opener, locks are important to safety. A garage door lock could stop working due to normal wear and tear, becoming rusted-over from weather, or from damage due to an attempted break-in.
Shredded Gears
The parts in the opener may be stripped, saving the motor but no longer operating the door. These gears are more likely to go bad if other signs of significant damage are ignored.
Are you dealing with garage door issues? Call Overhead Door to help diagnose your garage door problems and make repairs. We proudly service garage doors in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas. We can help you with a yearly inspection and maintenance visit to avoid most major garage door problems.
