Troubleshooting Your Garage Door

Three Signs You Need To Replace Your Garage Door

Your garage door is one of the largest parts of the exterior of your home, but is also the largest section that can move. This combination of both weather exposure and general movement means that your garage door can be exposed to a significant amount of stress and wear. This can cause your door to begin to degrade over time: understanding some of the warning signs associated with a garage door that needs to be replaced can help you determine when you should talk to a contractor.

Noisy Operation

Perhaps one of the first and easiest to spot signs that your garage door needs to be replaced is if you notice that it makes quite a bit of noise when it opens or closes. A certain level of noise is normal with any garage door opener, but any sounds of grinding, screeching, or anything else that sounds like two pieces of metal rubbing together can point to damage within the opener, to the door, or on the tracks holding the door up. In any case, ignoring the noises that your garage door is making can lead to serious mechanical problems developing, which can affect the performance and safety of your garage door system.

Crookedness

Another sign that your garage door should be replaced with a brand new one is if you find that the door does not sit straight, either while lowered on the ground, when being raised, or when fully raised. This points to your garage door being unbalanced, which can place undue stress on a specific side of your garage door and can cause track damage and wear on the motor. An unbalanced garage door is at risk of slipping and falling shut without warning and shouldn't be operated until a professional has had the chance to take a look at it.

Drafts and Leaks

An additional indication that your garage door may have reached the end of its lifespan is if you find that there is a noticeable draft within the interior of your home coming from a wall that is touching the garage. A garage door that has aged and worn itself down will lose some of its insulative qualities, which will allow heat to transfer into or out of your garage depending on the season. This can, in turn, allow heat to either leave or enter your home, creating drafts and inconsistent temperatures which can both reduce your interior comfort level and increase your monthly utility bills.

Contact a business, like Guaranteed Door Service, for more help.


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