Common Materials in Garage Door Repair

When you’re preparing to repair your garage door, there are numerous aspects that you will want to look at, but perhaps the most important thing that you can do is consider the materials that are going to be needed. If the repairs are going to be completed by a professional, then perhaps there is no reason to put much though into it, but there are some who would love to know exactly what goes into their garage door repair and what it takes to ensure that their door remains functional. To that end, we’ve compiled a basic list of materials used most often in garage door repair.

This is a pretty straightforward piece of equipment; essentially, it is the track that your garage door will run along when it is being lifted. There are a few different types, obviously, but generally you will be dealing with a vertical track that bends near the top and follows the roof. There are also tracks that are designed to accommodate garages with low headroom along with other limitations, finding the right one is paramount to the success of your installation efforts.

Sensors

While it might be a largely forgotten piece of equipment, a good garage door repair contractor will tell you that the garage door sensor is not only essential, it is potentially lifesaving, and with good reason. One of the greatest concerns that people tend to have is that the garage door will close, and an individual or animal will be caught beneath it. This would be a concern if the door did not utilize a sensor. The sensor is placed near the base of the garage door track and is mounted directly to it. The idea is for the sensor in question to emit a beam which connects to the other, and if the beam is broken, the door will fail to open and close properly.

The Motor

Not all garage doors will feature a motor, but for those who have chosen to install one, the benefits can be potentially endless. First of all, a motorized garage door will help you to ensure that your door remains locked, even if you do not engage the manual lock. In addition to that, it hoists the door open with minimal effort on your part so long as you have a garage door opener. The motor is not just a single part – it tends to be made up of multiple components, each of which serve a specific purpose. The motor casing houses several components including the chain drive, the lights, and is of course attached to the track responsible for hoisting the door.

Emergency Release

One thing we mentioned earlier is that garage doors do lock in place, and if the electrical system fails for any reason, you still need to be able to get the door up without stooping to driving your car through it. The emergency release is a mechanism on the track that is operated via a pull rope which releases the lock and allows you to lift the door manually. This might seem like a simple component, but it is arguably one of the most important.

Door Panels

Your garage door is most likely comprised of panels, each one made of the same material as the last. A good garage door repair contractor will be able to take a look at the panels and determine if anything is wrong with them. Through this, they will be able to perform aesthetic repairs or even fix issues with the rollers on which the doors slide upward. There are many things to address, and the doors make up a huge part of the equation.

Finally, you have the electronics that make up the whole picture, for example the receiver for the garage door remote can short out or simply malfunction, making it impossible for you to open the door. That being the case, you want to make sure it is something that can be repaired quickly, otherwise you will be stuck finding alternative, more creative ways to open the garage door, and that can get to be pretty irritating, especially in the middle of winter.

In the end, your  garage door repair needs to be carried out by a seasoned professional – one that knows the industry, and most importantly, one that keeps their own repairman in their employ rather than hiring an independent contractor. It’s time to get your door under control and keep it under control. It is, after all, the gateway to your home.