Here Are the Most Telling Signs of a Broken or Damaged Garage Door

Imagine this: You and your family are going away for a vacation. You pack up all your things, get in the car, pull out of the garage. Recently, your garage door has been a little slow to close, but you think nothing of it, “it’s fine,” you say to yourself.

But then, when you come back a week later, you discover that your home has been broken into. Your garage door, which you thought was just acting a little funny, was actually pretty damaged.

As a result, it was easy for a burglar to get into your home and steal many of your valuables.

This isn’t a situation any family wants to find themselves in. That’s why it’s so important to know what the signs are that your garage door is broken or damaged.

In this article, we’ll review all of these signs of Brinks Home Security. That way, you can keep yourself and your family safe, as well as your valuables.

Finally, you can rest easy, whether you’re upstairs sleeping soundly or away on vacation. Read on to learn more.

The Garage Door Is Sagging

If you have a garage door, it’s going to be prone to sagging. It’s a common issue. However, when this occurs, it’s also an immediate sign that you need a new one. There are many problems that could be causing your garage door to sag.

These include a tension spring being worn out. In this case, the situation is dangerous, because the spring could snap at any moment, causing serious damage or a life-threatening injury.

Other causes include dull rollers or rollers having lost their fitting. It could also be dulled tracks.

To determine what the cause is, and whether it’s threatening to your property or your life, you should contact a professional.

Sagging Wooden Garage Doors

When you have wooden garage doors, something that can occur is that your door begins to sag. If you’ve noticed this, then your garage doors might be rotting or decomposing. As a result, the wood might be damaged excessively internally.

It might also not be able to keep its shape. The problem when this occurs is that your garage door is no longer strong enough to withstand the pressure when you’re closing or opening it.

In addition to being an annoying problem that slows you down when you’re trying to get to work fast first thing in the morning, this can also be a danger. The weaker your garage door is, the easier it will be for a burglar to break in.

For this reason, you should call garage door repair services ASAP to fix the issue.

Closing and Opening It Is a Challenge

If your garage door keeps moving awkwardly or malfunctioning when you try to close or open it, this is a sign that there’s a more serious issue going on. For now, it’s simply an annoying problem – but it could get so bad that one day it won’t close at all.

Imagine being ready to go on a trip, having everything packed to go to the airport when all of a sudden your garage door won’t close. You could miss your flight if you don’t have a neighbor or family to help you out.

Sometimes, the cause of this problem is that your garage door has worn down slowly over time. This might mean you need a garage door replacement or you have broken springs.

If it’s the latter, then you can always get a replacement Broken Garage Door Spring | Discount Garage Door.

Another reason you might be having issues with closing or opening your garage door is that the electronic connections are faulty.

To test this, press buttons on your remote control. If your garage door is slow to react, then you need to call in a professional to check your connections.

Before you do this, though, don’t forget the simple potential fix: check to see if the remote is out of batteries.

Repeated Strange Noises

Sometimes, when your door makes repeated strange noises, it’s not a huge issue. All you need to do is lubricate the moving parts—such as garage door springs—and hinges. Take this step first, as it’s an easy fix.

It could also be a spring that’s pinched or strained. In this case, you simply need to replace the spring.

Still hearing the noises after this repair? The cause could be worn-out rollers or brackets. This is because, when the bearings in the pulleys or rollers become loose or dull, they scratch or squeal a bit.

Fortunately, you can easily replace these parts of your garage door, too.

Then, if you’re still hearing the repeated strange noises, this means you have a damaged garage door.

This is dangerous. At any moment, something could snap. The garage door could land on your car, causing expensive damage—or, worse, land on someone.

Chances are, you need it replaced. Contact a professional to find out whether this is the case.

The Garage Door Is Chipped or Broken

It’s quite common for a garage door to become chipped or broken. This is because it’s exposed to the elements. Anytime you have hail or high winds that bang items against the garage door, it experiences some damage.

Additionally, if your children play outside, they might hit the garage door with a hard item like a frisbee.

Usually, this type of damage isn’t too serious. However, if it affects the edges, bottom rubber lining, or panels, this can affect the amount of time your garage door can be used for.

If you’re concerned, you can call in a professional to give you an estimate of how many years you have left of garage door use. You can also speak with them about making repairs to your door for aesthetic purposes.

Chipped or Broken Wooden Garage Doors

There is a case when your garage door is chipped or broken is serious. If you have wooden garage doors, this can weaken them significantly over time, making you more susceptible to a break-in.

They also won’t be as effective at blocking inclement weather or animals from coming in.

To find out whether your wooden garage doors need to be replaced because of this type of damage, you should call in a professional. They can let you know if it’s simply an aesthetic problem or one that’s more serious.

Cracks and Rot In Your Wooden Garage Door

If you have a wooden garage door, then there are signs to look for to see whether it’s damaged. The first is peeling paint. When this happens, the interior of your door is exposed to the elements. Something as gentle as spring rain can cause serious havoc.

This is because the wood starts to slowly rot on the inside. As the rotting gets worse, you’ll start to notice more signs: a change in color and the wood splintering.

When it’s really bad, you’ll notice actual cracks in the wood. The sooner you spot any of these signs, the better. That way, you can get your garage door replaced before it’s impossible to close or before someone breaks in.

Loose or Broken Cords or Wires

When you have a garage door, it’s usually supported by a large system of cords or wires. If any of them become loose, broken, or frayed, the entire support system is in danger of weakening. This can cause several problems.

First of all, you might have trouble closing or opening your garage door. You might find that you have to manually close it, pulling hard, instead of being able to close it automatically.

Worse, however, is that all the cords and wires that aren’t broken or loose now have extra pressure on them. As a result, they’re likely to snap. This could cause destruction to your personal property or put your life in danger.

The moment you notice this issue, you should get in touch with a garage door repair service so you don’t lose money—or your life.

Signs of Aging

Often, homeowners choose to keep the vintage or antique door of their older home because it goes with the aesthetic. Especially if you’ve bought a colonial or pre-war home, there’s something beautiful about an old wooden door with decorations and flourishes.

However, if you’ve started to spot signs of aging, it might be time to replace your door.

If the surface is a little deteriorated, chances are there’s much more damage present internally. Have a professional come in to take a look. If you’re lucky, they can do a repair. Chances are, however, that you need a new garage door.

Fortunately, many garage door companies can replace your door with one that looks older, even though it’s actually much more modern and reliable.

Hinges or Door Track Are Broken

The door track and hinges of your garage door are necessary for the door moving up and down properly. If they’re broken, bent, or misaligned, you might find it impossible to open your garage door. There are several reasons for this.

For one thing, your garage door could simply be too old. If you bought a home from a previous owner, this is likely the cause.

The other reason is wear and tear. If you use your garage door frequently, the hinges and door track can start to wear down easily.

You might also have issues closing your garage door all the way. This can cause many problems.

For one thing, snakes, rodents, and pests could come in. If this occurs in the winter, cold air could come in, driving your energy bill costs up. It also makes it possible for a burglar to stick a crowbar in and try to open it even more.

As you can see, what might simply seem like an inconvenience is actually a pretty big problem. If your door track or hinges are broken, get in touch with a professional to replace these parts.

It’s Ugly

You may not want to accept it but after enough years out of being hit by snow, rain, hail, and harsh sunlight, your garage door might no longer be looking its best. Even though this isn’t a dangerous issue, it’s not a good situation.

For one thing, it makes your home as a whole look unattractive. It’s probably not the first thing you want your guests to notice.

But there’s another issue: money. This can lower the value of your home. If you’re planning on selling your home in the future, you could end up getting far less money simply because of this aesthetic detail.

It’s best to hit two birds with one stone to repaint or replace your garage door now. That way, you’ll have a more beautiful home and it’ll have more value when you finally sell it.

Need More Information?

Now that you’ve learned about the most telling signs of a broken or damaged garage door, you might need additional information. Maybe you want to learn about other signs of damage to look for in other areas of your home, such as your front door.

Or maybe you want to learn about how to best match your new garage door with your home’s exterior.

Whatever information you need, you can find it on our blog. Simply go to the Technology section to find out about the different technological solutions you can find for all your home improvement needs.