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How
to Repair a Garage Door
Repairing a Garage Door
Overhead garage doors, whether they roll up in sections or swing up in
one
piece, operate on spring tension. The door moves on metal tracks on the
garage
walls, and a heavy spring or springs provide the power. In most cases
when the
door doesn't work easily, repairs are fairly simple. Here are some
helpful
repair tips:
Step 1: Check the metal tracks inside the garage. Look at the
mounting
brackets that hold the tracks to the walls. If they're loose, tighten
the bolts
or screws at the brackets. Working inside the garage with the garage
door
closed, examine the tracks for dents, crimps, or flat spots. If there
are any
damaged spots, pound them out with a rubber mallet, or with a hammer
and a
block of scrap wood. If the tracks are badly damaged, they should be
replaced.
Step 2: Check the tracks with a level to make sure they're properly
aligned. Horizontal tracks should slant slightly down toward the back
of the
garage; with roll-up doors, the vertical sections of track should be
exactly
plumb. Both tracks must be at the same height on the garage walls. If
the
tracks are not properly aligned, loosen but do not remove the screws or
bolts
that hold the mounting brackets, and tap the tracks carefully into
position.
Recheck the tracks with the level to make sure they're in the right
position;
then tighten the screws or bolts at the mounting brackets.
Step 3: Clean the tracks with
concentrated
household cleaner to remove dirt and hardened grease. Clean the rollers
thoroughly, and wipe both tracks and rollers dry.
Step 4: Lubricate both the tracks and the rollers using garage door
lubricant spray or powdered graphite in the tracks, and household oil
or
silicone spray on the rollers. If there are any pulleys, lubricate them
with
the same lubricant you used on the rollers.
Step 5: Check for loose hardware, and tighten as needed. On
swing-up doors,
check the plates where the spring is mounted to be sure the screws are
tight,
and tighten any loose screws. On roll-up doors, check the hinges that
hold the
sections of the door together; tighten any loose screws, and replace
any
damaged hinges. Sagging at one side of the door can often be corrected
by
servicing the hinges. If a screw hole is enlarged, replace the screw
with a
longer one of the same diameter, and use a hollow fiber plug, dipped in
carpenters' glue, with the new screw. If the wood is cracked at a
hinge, remove
the hinge and fill the cracks and the screw holes with wood filler. Let
the
filler dry and then replace the hinge. If possible, move the hinge onto
solid
wood.
Step 6: Check the springs. On
swing-up
doors, the spring on each side is hooked into holes or notches. To
adjust the
tension, move the spring hook to the next hole or notch. On roll-up
doors, the
spring on each side is controlled by a spring cable on a pulley. To
adjust the
tension of this type of spring, pull the cable farther through the
plate above
the door, and reknot the end to maintain the tension.
Caution: If a roll-up door has
only one torsion spring, at
the center of the door, do not try to repair it. The tension is so
great that
the spring could injure you. For doors with this type of spring, call a
professional repair service.
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