Brown garage door in a private grey house

How to repair a buckled garage door

Fixing a bucked garage door should be handled as an emergency as buckled doors may expose your home or garage to security threats. The first step in restoring a buckled garage door is the establishment of exactly the kind of problem or cause of damage. Once this is known, repair work should be a simple, do-it-yourself process.

Brown garage door in a private grey house

One or more of the steps below can be taken in order to restore your garage door integrity.

Lubricate the door hinges

When a door becomes dry and rusty, it begins to make screeching noises while opening. This is a sign that it needs lubrication. Dust particles, in most cases, settle on the door’s moving parts making it very hard to open or close. It may be as a result of a very small problem that your garage door buckles. In this case, apply a little grease to your door’s rollers to keep it functional for a long time.

Adjust the tracks

Stiff garage doors do not play efficiently and will require a lot of energy to operate. In most cases of bucked or stiff doors, bent or misaligned tracks are among the most common culprits. This may occur due to excessive use of your garage door or as a result of bad weather conditions like strong winds and storms. Most of these misalignments are minor issues that can be easily resolved by adjusting the tracks that have been impaired. However, doing a full replacement of the tracks gives your door a new look making it operate again like it was new. Both of these decisions depend on the level of damage.

Adjusting the tracks requires you to loosen their brackets with a screwdriver or wrench first. Once they are loosened, the tracks are gently shifted to the left or right, causing the doors to move easily. Always use a vertical level to check the tracks for alignment. Once this is certain, relight ensure the brackets using a screwdriver. Open and close it several times to ensure the problem is sorted.

Install a garage door strut

If you have tried all the above solutions and your buckled door condition persists, try the strut installation remedy. Garage door struts are steel bars installed at the top of your garage door and are generally used as support for the door as it opens and closes.

Struts are generally installed on doors to prevent them from bending and buckling while under pressure. This happens when the door is hit by a strong wind. Double garage doors are heavier, and at least three reinforcement struts are recommended.

When installing the garage door struts, be more careful as unevenly installed struts can cause more harm than good to your garage door. As opposed to DIY, it is more advisable to engage a door expert to install the strut for you as this saves you time and money.

The extra material of the door strut can significantly alter the weight of the door. However, a professional door technician can re-calibrate the entire system to counterbalance the additional weight of the struts making your garage door much more efficient.

Top five reasons why not to DIY garage door repair

Attempting to DIY a garage door repair is something very odd does as long as the replacement parts, tools, and time is available. However, it comes with several other risks, which may cause you to use much more money than the initial cost of a garage door repair when engaging a professional technician.

The top five reasons why you should avoid DIY garage door repair are:

The Garage Door Might Fall On You

Garage doors are generally very heavy, weighing in many cases more than eighty pounds. While attempting a DIY on a ruined garage door, the door cables or springs may jam or snap suddenly, causing the door to fall on you, property, or even a family member. This may increase your costs as you may end up spending much more money on hospital bills, property repair or replacement, and even worse mortuary and funeral fees! This is the reason for engaging a certified professional or company that has insurance options just in case further damages are caused in the course of repair.

It Is Dangerous

Apart from the dangers of the door falling on you, attempting a DIY on a garage door is a far-end dangerous practice to anybody with little knowledge on the functionality of a garage door. Garage door cables can snap and cut your finger, and the spring can recoil unexpectedly and harm a part of your body, working tools may injure you or a family member and many more other dangerous occurrences.

You can ruin the door further

As a non-expert professional, you may not be able to do a professional assessment of the damage your garage door is experiencing. This may lead you to use wrong information about your garage door damages, and as a result, you may attempt a repair on parts that may not require such repairs. Still, the repair may target the right parts but could be poorly or wrongly executed, leading to further door damages. It is therefore advisable to engage an expert to do your garage door repairs in order to reduce costs, restore the security of your home, and reduce chances of accidents.

Buying Improper Parts

Are you an expert on garage doors? Most likely not. How then can you avoid buying the wrong parts or probably undersize or oversize for the replacements? It takes an expert technician to identify the right quality of parts to buy. This will help you avoid counterfeiting, as this can drastically lower your home safety.

 A Waste of Time

Garage Door Repair can be time-consuming if you try a DIY without expert knowledge. This may sometimes lead to loss of money as paying the wrong person to do a job they are not qualified to undertake increases risks of a second breakdown, and you will definitely spend more money on repairs. It is, therefore, a definite waste of time as more time will be spent in trying to fix the issues arising from the DIY non-expert repair attempts.

Red wood garage doors and white house

How repairing a garage door can improve your home’s value

Buying a used home space is a grateful investment step; many would consider venturing into it. However, a used home comes with used home features, some of which are ruined and demand immediate repair before you settle into the home. A garage door is one of such features yup should consider repairing in order to improve the value you get of your money. The following are some ways in which repairing your garage door improves the value of your home.

Red wood garage doors and white house

It Improves the appeal of the home

The first impression is an important element for every visitor. Be it a customer visiting your business premises or a visitor joining you home for a holiday. What they see tells a lot about your property, and this makes it more desirable to repair any broken garage door.

The large surface area of garage doors presents great opportunities to pick a variety of colors that would boost the aesthetic value of your home. Garage doors can be painted into colors that communicate perfectly to your home visitors and make the whole home exterior bond completely well with the natural environment. Repair and fix broken garage doors to save your home that rusty-dusty look.

Improves Safety and Security

Weak and broken garage doors expose your home and business to security issues you do not want to tolerate. Repairing Yorkshire garage door, therefore, saves you money and therefore improves value to your home. You can also fix additional security features on your garage door, such as photosensors and rotating security codes. This way, you can control who gains access to your property, making your home much more secure and safe to inhabit.

Blending the style of your home

Rusted or dusty garage doors give your home an old look. Giving your home a look you want, depends on how you choose your garage door designs as well as the types of décor you use. Repairing your old garage door and fixing a design that blends perfectly with your home exterior is a perfect investment that gives your home more value. Choose the best material that favors your budget, long-lasting, and easier to install. It is, however, recommendable that you work with a professional in order to get the best designs that fit well with your home features.

Increased Energy Efficiency

Your home is exposed to the external environment through the garage door. You could be losing energy through dents, loose ends, and broken sections of the garage door. Repairing the garage door greatly reduces home energy loses and therefore improves value to your home.

A new garage door is insulated, sealed, and designed for energy efficiency. The kind of insulation that comes with a new garage door is fitted to keep your home office the outside air, which in turn maintains the temperature of your garage and home. This is an immense benefit to all homes with an attached garage.

Garage doors with loose air seals very can also be made more energy efficient by fixing loose air seals. This reduces energy losses in your home and also helps to reduce noise keeping your home noise-free.

Increased Return on Investment

It is true and clear that improving the face of your home by repairing or replacing old windows, doors, floor tiles, security alarms, and door locks, among others, improves the general value of your home. This is what happens when you repair or replace your garage door. It is, therefore, far from a waste of money.

Grey garage door

The importance of a secure garage door

Securing a garage door is very important as burglars can easily access your property through an open or insecure garage door. Making your garage door secure involves ensuring all security features of the door are in places such as a strong door lock and opener. Securing your garage door also involves regular door maintenance in order to keep the door safe and strong enough to withstand break-ins and burglar attacks.

Grey garage door

A secure garage door, therefore, comes with a number of benefits to the garage owner and operators.

Home safety

Making your garage door more secure improves your home safety and makes your garage safer for use by children, visitors, and any other family members. When the door is insecure, it means it is not safe to use or may be accessed by trespassers at any time. This could be because of a faulty door mechanism such as the faulty opener, worn-out springs, worn-out cables, worn panels or even bent tracks. Such a door may expose one to unprecedented danger during operation. Children should, therefore, not be allowed to play or hang on such doors as such activities may be fatal.

Improving the face of your garage door by repairing when damaged or doing periodic assessments to identify and rectify the ensuing door problems makes the door much more efficient as well as safe to use.

Saves energy

An old garage door is much more exposed to the home exterior and bad weather and has far more reduced insulation than a secure garage door. Secure garage doors will, therefore, save you a lot of money in home heating costs as it provides an airtight seal for your home in cold days.

A secured automatic garage door will save you more money in associated energy bills as less energy is wasted in opening or closing it.

Protection from bad weather

A secure garage door saves you the hustle of walking in the rain or hot sun from the comfort of your car in order to open the garage. This cokes in when the automatic door lock system of your garage door is ruined and the door cannot open at a single press of a button.

Home security

Secure garage doors are much more secure from burglars than wrecked insecure doors. These doors are in good condition and are at their best performance levels. They also have improved security through properly functioning lock mechanisms and are not easy to be broken into.

As a rule of thumb, never depend solely on the garage door to maintain home security. Locking the door inside a locked garage door improves your home security much more. The security of your home is always compromised when someone gains access through the garage door and walks into the house through a door that has not been locked and secured. It is recommended that a high-security deadbolt be placed on the door that leads to the dwelling from the garage in order to make your home much more secure as such locks are not very easy to penetrate.

Grey and white garage door with windows

Energy-efficient garage doors

Making your garage door energy efficient is a home necessity as you must be able to put checks into the energy your home or garage spends from time to time. Garage doors are easy ways through which your home may lose heat during cold seasons. There are several ways one can improve the energy efficiency of the garage door without doing a major door replacement. The following methods are useful in improving the energy efficiency of your garage doors.

Grey and white garage door with windows

Insulate the garage door

Covering your garage door in an insulating material makes it impermeable to cold air at all times. When you do this, you make your garage more accommodating and warm than one with a non-insulated door. The insulation also makes it difficult to lose energy during warm days making your garage energy efficient in all seasons.

Old or worn-out garage doors are also permissive to cold and should be repaired and cracks or picked holes sealed. This will make the door more efficient in retaining heat, making your home more comfortable in cold weather.

Add passive solar heating

Passive solar heating helps your garage door to save your home from extreme energy bills by utilizing natural sources at no cost. This garage adjustment makes your garage door more effective as there will be no significant entry of cold air into the garage.

Associated importance of energy-efficient garage doors

Energy-efficient garage doors help to keep your garage warm in cold seasons and cool in hot seasons. With low expenditures on energy, you can still afford to enjoy the comfort of your home. With such comfort in your garage area, you can easily extend your house activities into the garage space by placing a tool bench or designing a craft area in your garage. You can also convert a section of the garage into an office, man cave, or even gym for maximum utilization of your home space.

Using a non-insulated garage with an energy inefficient garage door can be devastating. It is not fun getting into a cold car in the morning. A warmer garage, therefore, helps make getting into your car more comfortable during the winter, giving you amazing garage experience in cold days.

It is also not advisable to keep your car in cold places for longer durations as cold temperatures can lead to the thickening of motor oil. This will make your car engine harder to turn over, putting more stress on the moving parts. Keeping your car in a warm garage space will, therefore, extend your car’s lifespan.

How energy-inefficient garage door affects your home

Using a non-insulated garage door? Are your home heating costs worrying you? Your garage door could be a contributing factor. In a situation in which your garage door is uninsulated, cold air passes through the adjoining entryways, vents, and walls easily. This makes your home colder, and therefore your heating system must work harder to counter the cold air getting into your home in order to maintain a comfortable temperature. This problem can be resolved by increasing the insulation in your garage as well as installing the right type of garage door.

Reasons why your garage door is off the tracks

Garage doors are a business facility features that are constantly used to access the premise by staff, customers, and vehicles. These doors are therefore exposed to many more door track challenges, including doors falling off the track. This may have occurred on your garage door occasioning a repair by a do it yourself or by a professional door repair technician. However, this problem may become recurrent on your garage door for some reasons.

Garage door in big house

Your door tracks are worn out

Old and worn out door tracks are a major predisposing factor that keeps driving your doors off the track. Worn out door tracks cannot be repaired but should be replaced in order to provide better groves for your garage door to slide more efficiently.

Tracks that are misaligned

When the bolts holding the horizontal tracks loosen as a result of door vibrations, they may cause the brackets to wobble. When this happens, the door begins to roil more erratically and can easily fall off the tracks.

When you install a door with weak horizontal tracks, any slight impacts on the garage door can cause the tracks to bend, which may finally cause the door to fall. It is therefore recommended that stronger high-quality horizontal tracks of 14-gauge steel should be used. These should then be reinforced by an L-shaped angle iron in order to prevent twisting.

When the lift cable is broken

You may have purchased an old garage space, and you want to fix up issues with your business before your operations can run. Old or broken lift cables may be the reason why your garage door is off the track again. When this happens to your door, up, you need to find and complete a fix immediately in order to return the door to the track for improved security as well as door functionality.

Bad weather

Heavy storms may sometimes come with strong winds that may keep throwing your garage door off the tracks. This will generally occur when the door frame is weak and does not tightly fit on the track. Such doors require safety assessments to establish where the issue is as well as to rectify the problem causing it.

Strong winds also deposit debris on your garage door tracks, and this accumulation raises your door panels above the tracks, making it susceptible to misalignments. The misalignment will automatically cause the door to jump off the track again.

During winter, moisture or water droplets may freeze on your garage door tracks and block the door panel out. This way, when you attempt to move the door, it may jump out of the track accidentally. Ensure the track is free from water during cold seasons.

Poor door repair services

If your garage door has a history of misalignments that caused it to fall off the track before and you engaged a non-expert to do the repair or if you did the DIY without expert knowledge, this problem will definitely recur. Attempting a DIY without professional experience wastes time and exposes your garage operators to more safety issues preventable by engaging an expert.

Good condition of a garage door

How to keep a garage door in good condition

Keeping a garage door healthy and in good condition, all the time reduces your door repair and maintenance costs while ensures your garage security is guaranteed. Always be sure to get appropriate help when it comes to garage door health checks as the mechanics may sometimes be complicated to be handled by a non-expert in a do it yourself process. The following criteria can be used to keep a garage door in good status.

Good condition of a garage door

Inspect the nuts and bolts regularly

Inspection of door nuts and bolts is better done on a mostly basis to ensure this hardware is kept tight. Regular opening and closing of doors may loosen or cause the nuts and bolts to shift. When this happens, the door hinges, roller track brackets, or door trims and frames will become loose over time and reduce the efficiency of the door. When efficiency is compromised, door workability consumes more time and energy, and this may result in lost income or even accidents in your garage.

Ensure the rollers are in shape

Door rollers are constantly used by your door as long as your garage remains in operation. They can crack or even break depending on how long they have been in us or even the pressure exerted on them by the door itself. Inspect your door rollers regularly and replace broken ones. Replacement rollers are always available in a local store and come with a simple do it yourself guide.

While fixing the rollers, be sure to check the roller tracks as well. These tracks could be blocked by debris or even rusted clogging the rollers and thus getting the garage door jammed. Clean the tracks using a brush. Also, check if the track is bent, worn, or looks pinched. You may need a professional to fix the problem if the damage is extreme.

Lubrication

A garage door may be exposed to poor environmental conditions, which may make them stick or make squeaky noise during operation. Lubricating movable door parts such as hinges, rollers, and door locks improve the lifespan of your garage door.

Test your door regularly and fix noted problems

Conducting these tests helps you identify problems with your garage door, and thus the problems can be resolved earlier before they cause injury on a customer or staff.

For doors with automatic reversal systems, conduct monthly checks on the door reversal system to ensure it works properly. You can do this by placing an object on the doorway or holding the bottom of your garage door while it closes. If the door fails to stop and reverse quickly, adjust the force set to a lighter number, or engage a professional in case you notice an irregularity. This will ensure your garage door does not close on a worker, a customer, or even a vehicle.

Keep the door balanced

Keeping your garage door balanced keeps you safe and also keeps the door from unintended bangs that occur when the door is left to close by itself. Perform this check by opening the door halfway and leaving the handle. If the door stays there, it is well balanced. For doors with springs, adjust the spring if the door rises back or closes up automatically.

Garage door materials

Top garage door materials

When securing your garage space, you need to install a door that is stable, matches the environment around your garage, is strong, and favors your budget. There are a number of garage door materials to assess before you decide on one that suits such needs. The following garage door materials are available.

Garage door materials

Glass

Glass is more modernly used indoors and windows. When used in garage doors, they provide more natural conditions in garages with better garage illumination. Glass is resistant to rot, rodents, and effects of bad weather. They can, therefore, be used in a variety of garage doors, whether interior or exterior. They suit perfectly as sliding patio doors in garages. As opposed to the old glass which shatters more easily, the modern glass is embedded with fiber and will not shatter when knocked by a hard material making your garage much more protected from break-ins and accidents caused by wind, storms and attempted robbery. Glass can also be frosted or tinted to add privacy to your garage.

Wood

Wooden doors are natural and easily blend well with your environment giving your garage a better aesthetic value. However, wood is much more vulnerable to rot due to bad weather and can be easily eaten by rodents. The material requires periodic maintenance, such as painting, and may be very costly in the long run. Proper care of wood can elongate its lifespan, making it look good while protecting your garage for whichever period you desire. Wooden doors come in several styles and can be customized to fit your garage. They are more insulating and can be made into double doors or sliding doors. With the rising cost of wood, installing a new wooden garage door is an expensive task.

Steel

However, not very much insulating, steel is stronger than wood and is much more durable with lower maintenance demands. It can, however, be galvanized and customized to blend with the environment. Steel also dents easily and must, therefore, be treated with care as denting will increase maintenance cost for the material.

Aluminum

However, much more expensive, aluminum doors are lighter and require low maintenance as compared to steel. They are, therefore, commonly used in garages with wide double doors. If high cost not a factor in your budget, aluminum is a better garage door material. However, it is not as strong as wood or steel and may not protect your garage from break-ins or robbery.

Fiberglass

These materials are thermally efficient and are commonly used in homes and garages in hot climates when bonded with steel frames insulated with polyurethane. These materials can be easily customized to resemble wood by painting in a variety of décor and styles. However, this comes with an extra cost, and you must consider the implication of an extra cost on your business.

Vinyl

Vinyl requires low maintenance. It is stronger with the ability to resist denting, rust, wind, sand, and salt. They are, therefore, much more used as garage door materials in coastal regions.