Home repair: Garage door problems & how to solve them

by Sandy Malbrue 07/04/2023

white house with black roof on lot with attached garage and driveway

Among the many features of your home that might need repair, garage door components are often set aside as non-essential. However, for those who use their garage every day - for parking a car or otherwise - a faulty garage door can become an enormous inconvenience.

Luckily, many garage door issues can be handled on your own with some basic tools and supplies. For help with some of the most common problems you may encounter in the life of your garage door, here are some tips:

How to fix garage door panels

Garage door panels might need repairs if dented or damaged. If this happens, replacing individual panels is much simpler and cost-effective than replacing the entire door.

If the damage is minimal, try hammering out the dent with a rubber mallet. Fill small dents with  body filler resin found at any automotive repair shop. These products are simple to use and come with step-by-step instructions for handling small dents with ease.

What to do with a squeaky garage door

Squeaking is an incredibly common issue for garage doors. While it might seem like a minor inconvenience, it’s best to investigate the source of the squeak to make sure there isn’t a serious mechanical issue.

Most of the time, it’s the rollers causing the squeaking when the door opens and closes. To ease the squeak, you can apply an automotive door cleaner to the roller along its hinged surfaces. Other times, the hinges on the door are the cause of the squeak. In these cases, apply a basic garage door lubricant to the hinges for smooth operation.

How to repair garage door springs

Unfortunately, garage door springs can wear out quickly. When you start to notice your garage struggling to open or close completely, it’s time to investigate the springs. To replace garage door springs, note the size and type of the springs you have to make sure the new springs are a perfect fit.

While this job can be completed yourself, it does require some more specific DIY experience. If you’re unsure how to go about replacing or repairing the springs, it’s best to call a garage door professional for help.

These are just a few of the common garage door repair issues homeowners might encounter. While these issues are purely mechanical, other problems can be trickier to solve. For example, a faulty garage door opener could involve electrical wiring. For these issues, consult a garage door professional for the best course of action.


About the Author
Author

Sandy Malbrue

Hi, I'm Sandy Malbrue and I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search for representation or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my 14 years real estate experience to work for you. Be it to gain wide exposure for your home with my marketing plan, negotiate offers or manage the transaction once you've accepted an offer, in a way that will get you the best price and cause the least amount of disruption to you life as possible.  

If you are a buyer, allow me put those skills to work for you to help with the pre-approval process, work with you to locate and arrange for you to view homes of interest to you , and negotiate your offer. Once you have an accepted offer, I will help you arrange inspections, I will manage the transaction for you, from helping to arrange for inspections to keeping you up to date on contingency removals and walking you through the process to a new set of keys.

Let's do this!