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As is typical with any door, garage doors contain many moving and fixed parts that enable you to open and close them. Just as with any machinery, garage doors need regular maintenance, to ensure proper functioning.
Basic Operation of a Garage Door
When you click the button on your automatic garage door opener remote the door seems to open magically. However, there are a lot of things going on with the system to make that work. In order for the weight of the door to move upward, a corresponding weight must move downward. The mechanics of how this happens, the parts involved, and finally, how to maintain those parts are the core of this article.
Garage Door Systems
There are two types of spring systems used in garage doors to provide the counterbalancing force mentioned earlier.
- Extension spring system
- Torsion spring system
Extension Spring System
With this system, the springs are attached at the bottom corners of the garage door. The springs are in a stretched position when the garage door is closed. When you open the garage door, the springs move to a relaxed state. The constant tension on the springs when the door is closed causes them to wear out very rapidly making this system an unpopular choice.
Torsion Spring System
If you have this type of garage system, you will see a spring installed horizontally above the garage door opening. In this type of system, one end of the spring is connected to a cable through a movable rotating joint. The other end of the cable is mounted in some way to the opening mechanism.
When you open the garage door, the spring rotates and loosens gradually enabling the garage door to open. When you close the garage door, the energy created by the door coming down is transferred into winding up the spring.
The torsion spring system lasts longer than the extension spring system because springs can endure more winding and unwinding than they can extension and contraction.
The torsion spring system is the most common garage door opening system.
Tips on Maintaining Your Garage Door
Before your garage door fully malfunctions, there are steps that you can take to be on the lookout for a pending failure.
Observation
- Check how your garage door opens, is it slanting on one side or does it open uniformly?
- Listen when your garage door opens, especially for scraping or screeching sounds. This might be an indication of rust in the moving parts, the springs, the pulleys or the hinges.
The Vertical Track and the Rollers
If you take a look at your garage door, you can observe two metal tracks installed vertically on both sides — the rollers of the garage door run along each metal track. As a homeowner, you can ensure there is no debris on the metal tracks.
If during your inspection you notice the rollers running unevenly or making screeching sounds as the garage door is opened or closed, please engage the assistance of a Tamarac garage door service. For your safety garage door adjustments should only be done by a professional technician.
Replacing the Rollers
Friction between the rollers and the track can cause them to wear out. For the average garage door, which is opened maybe once or twice a day, you should have the rollers inspected every six months by a garage door repair company.
If you maintain a regular inspection schedule, your technician can advise you when the rollers need replacement.
Reducing Friction
Friction is what occurs when two moving parts are in physical contact. Interaction between the two surfaces leads to wear and tear. To increase the life of your garage door parts, it is advisable to apply lubricant to the moving parts. These parts are the rollers and the opening chain. Contact a garage door repair Tamarac for advice on the best lubricants to use and where to apply them.
Garage Door Cables
The cabling system is what carries the entire weight of the garage door as you open and close it.
If the cables are not correctly secured, they can lash out when under tension with enough force to cause severe bodily harm and damage to property.
If you suspect that something is not right with the cables on your garage door, we strongly advise against any do it yourself repair and ask that you call a garage door repair company.
Garage Door Pros
At Garage Door Pros we have been a leader in the garage door repair industry for over a decade. We can fix any problem you might be experiencing with your garage door. Give us a call today to schedule a repair or maintenance appointment.
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