So long as your garage door is operational, you probably don’t give it any thought. It makes sense too, after all, they have a rather basic existence. Year after year, they go up, down, up, down, till they do not work the way they should. Then it becomes a major source of frustration. But, with proper maintenance and timely repairs, you can extend the life of your garage door.

If you are in the San Antonio, TX area and are currently dealing with garage door problems or need assistance maintaining your garage door, consider Jerry’s Garage Doors for the job.

What Can Go Wrong in a Garage Door?

The overall garage door system has various functional sections and components. Fortunately, you can break these down into three specific categories: the door itself, hardware components, and weather-stripping.

Doors

You should be aware of some general information about the door because it can alter how it works.

• Garage doors can open vertically (up and down) or horizontally (left and right).
• Insulated or non-insulated garage doors are available.
• The R-value of insulated garage doors indicates how successful they are at insulating your garage. Doors provide more insulation with greater R-values, which keep the heat and cold out.
• Certain types of doors are more resistant to tropical storms and hurricanes than others.
• Aluminum, vinyl, wood, steel, fiberglass, and PVC are all options for garage doors.
• Some door types include windows as part of their design.

Hardware Components

For most folks, the garage door hardware is where things start to become a little complex. You will notice a variety of components on the backside of the door if you look closely. When everything is working properly, these work in perfect unison to open and close the door.

• Lifting Cables: Lifting cables are attached to the door’s springs and assist in opening and shutting the door.
• Springs: Springs are an important component of the garage door’s counterbalance mechanism. This technology allows you to open and close the door with one hand.
• Hinges: The hinges get situated between each of the door’s component pieces. They retain the door in place while allowing each part to bend as the door opens and closes.
• Door Rollers: Small rollers or wheels are on the sides of garage doors. The wheels should spin freely inside the door tracks as the door is opened and closed.
• Door Tracks: The door tracks are the metal components attached to the sides of the doors that allow them to open and close easily.
• Garage Door Opener: A garage door opener is a motorized device that automates the opening and closing of the garage door. A raising arm, manual disconnect, and chains are among the opener’s unique elements and components.

Galvanized steel is used for many of the door’s components since it resists corrosion better than normal steel. If you decide on using steel, the gauge rating of steel is the most important thing to remember. The steel will be thicker if the gauge is lower. 12-gauge steel, for example, is wider than 16-gauge steel. You should choose components with a lower gauge grade if you desire greater quality.

Weather-Stripping

Weather-stripping is a vital feature to have on your door. Rain and water are kept out of the garage thanks to the stripping. When properly sealed, it also keeps the wind out. There should be some form of rubberized weather-stripping on the bottom of the door. This weather stripping prevents water from running under it and into the garage.

Weather-stripping should also be visible around the exterior of the garage door’s framing. There may be weather-stripping on the outer and interior sides of the door, depending on the door’s quality and who initially installed it. Weather-stripping usually gets included between each panel of higher-quality sectional garage doors.

How Can Jerry’s Garage Doors Help You Repair and Maintain Your Garage Door?

If your garage door is working properly right now, you can practically indefinitely keep it that way if you follow a basic inspection and maintenance regimen. Moreover, the same advice can help with problems that are only starting to appear:

• Assess the balance of the door. You should only need to apply a few pounds of pressure to move a garage door up and down. A power garage door opener may have to work more to lift the door if the springs wear out and lose their resilience. This issue can soon wear down the opener’s motor. Professional technicians from the best Garage Door Repair in San Antonio, TX, frequently get called in by residents to replace worn-out springs.
• Ensure that the cables and pulleys are in good working order. Cables and pulleys in spring-operated garage doors might wear out over time. You must replace frayed cables and damaged pulleys, and this is a job best left to the pros, not to mention Jerry’s Garage Doors — the best Garage Door Repair in San Antonio, TX.
• Inspect the garage door’s rollers and tracks. If you cannot recall the last time you brushed the rollers and tracks, now is the time to do it, as well as lubricate the rollers and axles. Roller bearings can also wear out, so repair any rollers that are not running smoothly.
• Test the door opener’s auto-reverse feature. If a garage door opener finds an obstacle on the way down to the floor, it will automatically reverse and lift the door. The heavy door creates a safety threat if this feature no longer works properly, and the door opener should be fixed or replaced.
• Tighten the screws and bolts. The rollers of an overhead garage door get guided by tracks constructed in parts and bracketed to the structure. Make sure the parts get fastened securely and that the brackets’ screws and bolts are tight.

Takeaway

If you are dealing with any garage door problems, such as:

• Broken springs
• Broken cables
• Sticking rollers
• Door closing and reopening
• The opener runs, but the door does not move
• The door opens but will not close
• Door sticking or stopping
• Remote Opener not Working

Or, maybe you’re not sure what’s wrong with your garage door. No matter the circumstances, give the best Garage Door Repair in San Antonio, TX, a call. Jerry’s Garage Doors has a strong team of qualified technicians who can handle any garage door project, including new garage door installations, garage door repairs, spring replacement, garage door opener installation and maintenance, and more.