The garage door is one of the most significant mechanical fixtures in most homes. It provides access to the garage and also the entire house in homes which have an adjoining door in the garage. For this reason, the garage door makes a significant contribution to the safety of the home. If you are worried about the safety of the door due to poor operation, it is essential to perform the following checks. This will ensure that it does not compromise the security of the entire home or lead to inconveniences when you need to access the garage.
Inspect the tracks
Your garage roller door runs along horizontal or vertical tracks depending on its configuration. A roll-up door has vertical tracks while the conventional one has horizontal tracks. These seemingly small components are critical to the operation of the door. If they are broken or defective, the door can come off the tracks ad fail to open or close properly. Inspect the tracks to ensure that they are all in excellent condition. Also, make sure that the bolts which secure the tracks are properly tightened as well.
Check the door opener mechanism
Garage door openers can be made up of chain-driven or belt driven mechanisms. The driving mechanism should be in good condition for the door to operate optimally. Inspect the chain or belt to ensure that it is not broken or faulty. Also, it should be properly tightened and not hanging out of its carriage because this can affect how the door opens or closes. As you inspect the driving mechanism, check the carriage as well. Check to see that the bolts are tight and are holding the parts of the carriage together firmly.
Inspect the garage door springs
Your garage door has springs that are either located above the door for roll-up doors or near the horizontal tracks. These springs are paramount to the operation and safety of the door – they counteract the gravitational force on the door. So, for a roll-up garage door, if the springs are faulty, they will not be able to hold the door up when you open. This can be dangerous as it can lead to accidents, property damage, and injury if the door comes rolling back down. You need to check the springs once in a while and ensure that they are not damaged. You can also test their functionality by opening and closing the door to see how it's responding to the commands.
Contact a professional garage door contractor if you notice any problems with your garage door. Also, conduct regular tune-ups to avoid some of the mentioned problems which can jeopardize the safety of the door.
There are still many people do not believe that women should be involved in DIY or construction jobs. My blog is here to prove them all wrong. My name is Connie and I have always been interested in construction and repair work around my home. Rather than just sitting back and letting someone else take care of the problem, I like to get stuck in so I can try and learn something. However, sometimes there are jobs I cannot do on my own. However, when I call in a contractor, I always take the time to chat with them so I can pick up a tip or trick which will help me in the future. I hope you like the articles on my blog.