Neighborhood Garage Door Service

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Garage Door Repair Coupon
100 Dollars Off New Single Garage Doors
$125 Off New Garage Door Opener
$200 Off New Double Garage Doors

DIY Checkup Of Your Garage Door

During day to day operation, you’re not really paying attention to the specifics of your overhead door’s operation. You’ll notice major changes in noises or if the door stops altogether, but the little things will slip by. This is why regular inspection of your garage door is critical to its general upkeep and lifespan. Even if the door seems to be working just fine, it still helps to perform regular maintenance.

One such aspect of this kind of detailed maintenance involves the balance of your garage door. Heading off balance issues can be of huge importance for your home. Neighborhood Garage Door Service of Atlanta, GA has some tips on doing your own DIY checkup of your garage door balance.

About Garage Door Balance

jackshaft-garage-door-opener

Your garage door weighs up to 200-250 pounds. That’s a lot more than some people could lift on their own. This is where the overhead garage door balance system comes into play. The door is connected to high-strength lift cables. These are in turn connected to the torsion springs.

These torsion springs bear the bulk of the door’s weight. This allows just about anyone to lift the door on their own. However, when the spring is not set properly, the balance gets off. This shifts more of the weight onto the lifter, whether human or machine.

Improper garage door balance can lead to several problems. Increased lifting load on your opener can cause unneeded wear and tear on the unit. This can decrease the lifespan of the opener.

Safety is also an issue. If you don’t catch the problem early, it will only get worse. Eventually, there can be total failure of the torsion spring. If this happens, the results can be harmful, even deadly. If the spring fails during operation, it could drop the door suddenly, damaging your vehicle on the way out of the garage, or even falling on a pet or family member.

The spring itself can be a hazard if it fails suddenly. Because it is wound to the same poundage of tension as the door’s weight, the torsion spring is under extreme pressure. If it breaks, it will release all that energy at once. Pieces of the spring can fly in any direction.

Safety First

As always, it’s important to observe general garage door safety while performing any operational checks. Make sure no children are in the garage, or just outside during your inspection. Clear the doorway completely. Make sure no toys, equipment, or materials of any kind are anywhere near the garage door opening.

During the check, it’s possible that the door could come down very hard, very suddenly. You don’t want anything in its path if this should happen. This includes yourself. So, make sure to be aware of the door’s position and operation if you cross the doorway while it’s up.

Performing the Checkup

Garage Door Checkup Checklist

To perform the actual checkup, disengage the automatic opener. While the door is closed, pull the release cord. This usually hangs from the lift shuttle and has a red handle at the end. Now that the opener is disconnected, all the work is manual.

Lift the door to the fully open position. It should lift easily and smoothly throughout the opening process. If properly balanced, the door will weigh anywhere from 20-40 pounds. If you feel like it’s taking more work than that, you may have a problem.

After opening the door, you’ll reverse the process. Close the door, watching for smooth, consistent operation all the way down. If the door hesitates much on the way down, or slams shut, further work is needed.

Next Steps

If you discover any problems during your garage door balance check, do NOT attempt any repairs. The incredible tension on the springs that we mentioned makes it very unwise to try to correct any problems. Call

Neighborhood Garage Door Service of Atlanta, GA right away for work on your torsion springs.

Our professional customer service representatives can have one of our technicians on site as early as today. Our service trucks are equipped with many of the tools and parts needed for basic repairs. This allows us to get started right away on most repair jobs. Call us today to get your garage door fully operational!

You Can Trust Us for the Job

positive reviews

They sent Doug Fussell out to my house on the day after Christmas! I had only called them three days before! Doug was a premier technician, very thorough and very efficient. I expected him to take two days, since he was replacing two doors and adding openers on each door. He only took the daylight hours of one day! I could not believe how fast he was! In addition, he thoroughly taught me how to use the remote openers. I highly recommend them to anyone!
~Donald B.

positive reviews

We just bought a home and this company was so understanding as I had to change the appointment time a few times. Then the tech came out and was so kind and helpful. I could not have asked for a better experience and will suggest them to anyone who needs work done on their garage door!
~Tammy K.

positive reviews

My garage door broke on a Saturday night as I was getting ready to leave for a holiday party. Kelvin was here within 30 minutes. He reviewed everything with me that was happening with my door. He gave me the estimates of what was immediately needed to be done in order for my door to raise and then what I will need to have done very soon. I could see all the problems he pointed out to me and I decided to have everything done. He completed everything that night. I was very satisfied with Kelvin’s professionalism and the work he did. Thank you again.
~Joyce N

We Service All Makes and Models of Garage Doors and Openers