Topic: Safety and Cables for Your Overhead Door Sectional Doors

The lift cables at each side of a sectional overhead door should be visually inspected periodically for “fraying” of broken stands, severe twisting of strands, any other abnormalities or rust.

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   If you are having trouble with your garage door, it may be due to some problem with the springs. Garage door springs do break, and they can be replaced. I won't try to convince you not to take that approach if you need new springs, but I will strongly suggest that you carefully weigh the risks versus the rewards in this project before deciding to do so. 

   
   Out of Balance Springs
   
   The best sign of a well-functioning garage door is that it opens and closes smoothly and quietly. ...When it stops working as it should, the problem can be serious. Try operating the garage door manually (pull the cord attached to the arm connecting the rail trolley system to the door). If the door continues to be difficult to operate, the problem could be that the springs are out of balance. In this case, you can be confident that the problem isn't going to fix itself. And failing to fix it could result in an escalating list of worn and broken parts. Call us asap.
   
   Garage Door Spring Brackets
   
   Garage door springs are attached to brackets on the bottom of the garage door. As with the springs, these brackets are also under a lot of tension and should only be adjusted or otherwise maintained by a pro. Newer models of garage doors have tamper resistant brackets that prevent the curious but inexperienced among us from getting into trouble.
   
   Call us anytime - let us help you - 336-3667 as for Tipp or Steve.

 Many garage door repairs may be relatively simple, but some are definitely not advisable for all homeowners.  Here are some garage door repairs you can do yourself: 

~ ~ ~ Dusty garages can contribute to dirt build-up on your garage door parts,

            so clean tracks and all moving parts with household cleaner and dry cloth. 

~ ~ ~ Tighten all hardware, including hinges.

~ ~ ~ Check for dented tracks or broken rollers that can cause sticking.

~ ~ ~ Lubricate tracks, rollers, pulleys with wD-40, then silicone spray rollers.

Garage door opener repairs is not beyond your ken, as long as you know how to plug things in and lubricate them.  Garage door openers are simple devices that rely on little more than a motor and a track to raise and open your door.  If you're having problems with the garage door, this is what you can check:

• Garage Door Won't Open or Close
• If your garage door won't open or close, the first thing to check is the electricity. Sure, your garage door is plugged in, but has there been an interruption of power somewhere along the line? A blown fuse or a tripped circuit breaker? You can test to see if your garage door opener has power by pressing the hardwired button that sets the machine into motion. If nothing happens, check the power.
• If there is a good supply of power, something more serious might be wrong. Try unplugging the unit and plugging it back in. Look around for loose wiring. The worst case scenario is a blown out circuit board. If you suspect that this is the problem, call an electrician or buy a new garage door opener.
• Garage Door Gets Stuck
• If your garage door gets stuck midway between the open and closed positions, you probably have an obstruction that is keeping your garage door opener from working properly. Take a look at the track that raises and lowers your garage door. Is there a foreign body in the way? Remove it and try again. Hopefully, that does the trick. There might also be something jammed in the way of the door itself. If it's a bird's nest, try not to kill any of the baby birds when you move it.
• If an obstruction is not to blame, you might have a few chains that need lubricating. It's a good idea to lubricate the moving parts of your garage door twice a year, anyway, so don't worry about getting a little greasy. Lubricate the chain and anything else that moves. Just remember to unplug your garage door opener first, unless  you want to lose a finger or two.
• Garage Door Opens and Closes on Its Own
• Some garage doors act like they are haunted, opening and closing on their own. There's a simple fix, in most cases. Check your garage door remote and get the button unstuck. If that doesn't work, talk to your neighbors. You may have the same garage door opener as a neighbor does.