Garage doors are a wonderful creation. They allow you to keep your cars and your possessions safe from theft and the outside elements, and if if you have an insulated garage door, they can actually dramatically decrease your energy bill.
But as great as they are when they're operating at full strength, they're even more annoying when they break down. Fortunately, garage doors experience a lot of the same types of problems, which means that garage door companies perform the same type of garage door repairs. Some of them can be even be done by the homeowner - with the proper safety precautions, of course. Below is a list of the most common types of problems and how to fix them. If any of them look too daunting, call a company to schedule a garage door repair service to help.
Door Not Closing
If the garage door isn't closing, it could be one of two things: either a track that is out of alignment or something blocking the sensors. The sensors located at the base of the garage door are set to determine if there's something in the path of the garage door; if so, it'll reverse the course of the door and send it back up as a safety mechanism. Sometimes, these can fall out of alignment or even be triggered by something as small as a piece of grass, so check to make sure there's no interference.
Door Not Closing All the Way
If the garage door is starting to close and then stops, it's likely that a track is out of alignment. If this is the case, it'll create resistance at various points; if it's strong enough, the safety mechanisms will be tripped and the garage door will stop the door. While a sensor alignment may be fixed DIY-style, you'll need to hire a company that handles garage door repairs to fix the alignment issue.
Squealing or Grinding Noise
The only reason you would have a grinding noise is if the parts that are in motion - the rollers on the track - are worn down to the nub or not rolling at all. You can usually spray some garage specific lubrication to grease the wheels, but in some cases, you may need to replace them completely.
Light Coming Through the Door
While your garage shouldn't be pitch black when the door is closed, it should be relatively close. The light coming through the door means that the insulation is lacking and that elements can get in, and is caused by either a crack in the door or the weatherstripping coming undone at the bottom. Slide in a new weatherstrip at the bottom if that's the issue, but cracks in the door need to be fixed by a garage door repair service. To learn more information about garage door problems, reach out to a company such as Wise Garage Doors.