Garage doors require a lot of moving parts to work properly. And it doesn't take much for one of those parts to malfunction or break.
A garage door that won't open or close, is slow to respond, or makes loud noises may be in need of repair or replacement. While it's usually best to leave this to the experts, there are a few ways to troubleshoot these issues.
Keep reading for more information on garage door repair, maintenance, and other helpful tips.
Common Garage Door Issues
The average garage door will open and close over 1,500 times a year. Over time, certain parts and mechanisms wear out or break. While most garage repairs aren't all that complicated, when major issues arise, you may need a complete replacement.
Here are some of the most common causes of a broken garage door and what you can do about it.
Noisy Garage Door
One of the most common customer complaints is that their garage door is operating more loudly than usual. The culprit is usually something simple like the door's hinges or rollers.
Garage door rollers have bearings designed to move smoothly back and forth. Lack of lubrication or wear and tear can result in noisy operation.
The hinges of a garage door connect each piece together and allow the sections to move easily around the rounded parts of the track. If these hinges are damaged, warped, or worn out, they can make quite a bit of noise as well.
Worn-Out Springs
Garage door springs are one of the most important components and are responsible for helping the door move up and down. As the garage door lowers, these springs tighten. As it raises, the tension is released and the springs help lift and support the weight of the door.
Because garage door springs are under constant pressure, they eventually wear out. If your garage door is struggling to open or it feels heavy when lifted by hand, it could be a sign that your springs need replacing.
This is one of those garage door repairs you should leave to the professionals to avoid serious injury.
Faulty Opener
The second most common cause of a broken garage door has nothing to do with the door itself. After a quick inspection, if your garage door seems in good condition, your opener might be to blame.
If you can't get the door to open when using either the wall switch or remote, it likely means there's a problem with the power source. Check the circuit breaker, fuse, or GFCI outlet.
If the door opens using the wall switch but won't budge when you use the remote or keypad, the fix may be as simple as changing the batters in one of these controls.
The 10-Minute Check to Run Before You Call
Run these in order. Every one is safe, and any of them can save you a service call.
- Try the wall button, then the remote, then the keypad. If the wall button works and the remote does not, it is the remote — battery or programming, not the door. If nothing works, move to step 2.
- Check the outlet. Garage outlets are almost always GFCI-protected, and in an unheated garage they trip more often than people expect. Look for a tripped breaker in the panel and a popped reset button on the outlet itself.
- Look at the photo-eye sensors. Two small sensors, about six inches off the floor on each track. Both should show a steady light. A blinking, dim, or dark light means they are misaligned or blocked. A snow shovel, a bike tire, a garbage can, or a cobweb is the usual culprit. Wipe the lenses and nudge them until both are steady.
- Watch the door as it moves. Does it hesitate at the same spot every time? Does it jerk sideways? Does it reverse right after touching the floor? Note the where, not just the what — the location tells the technician which section, roller, or limit setting is involved.
- Look at the springs above the opening. You are only looking. A visible two-to-three inch gap in the coil means a broken spring, and the diagnostic stops there — you are done, call.
- Pull the emergency release and lift by hand — only if the springs are intact. A properly balanced door should lift with moderate effort and stay put around waist height. If it slams down or will not budge, the balance is off. Re-engage the trolley and stop.
If steps 1–3 fix it, great. If you are at step 4 or beyond, that is a service call — (224) 306-2985. We run same-day service across Wheeling, Palatine, and Arlington Heights.
Three Things to Never Touch
We are not being precious about this. These are the parts that send people to the ER.
Torsion and extension springs. A residential door’s springs hold hundreds of pounds of stored energy. They are wound under tension with dedicated bars, and they release with enough force to break bones. If you have a broken spring, our garage door spring repair crew handles it — and if you want the mechanics first, read what a broken garage door spring actually looks like.
Lift cables and bottom brackets. The bottom bracket is bolted to the same tension the spring carries. Loosening it with the door down and the springs loaded is one of the most dangerous things a homeowner can do in a garage. Frayed or slack cable is a cable repair job.
A door that is off its track. Once a roller leaves the track, the door’s weight is no longer distributed the way it was designed to be. Trying to muscle it back in usually bends the track and turns a small repair into a section replacement.
Winter Failures Specific to Chicagoland
A large share of our January and February calls are one of four things, and two of them are not broken parts at all:
- The bottom seal froze to the slab. Water runs under the door, freezes overnight, and the rubber bonds to the concrete. The opener strains, hits its force limit, and reverses. The door is fine. Break the ice bond, do not repeatedly hammer the button — that is how you strip a gear.
- Cold-thickened grease. Old lithium grease on the tracks stiffens below freezing and the opener reads the extra drag as an obstruction.
- Sensors knocked out of alignment. Snowblowers, shovels, and salt bags live right where the sensors are.
- Contracted metal and loose hardware. Freeze-thaw cycling works hinge and bracket bolts loose over a season.
What to Tell Us So the Truck Arrives With the Part
The single most useful thing you can do on the phone is describe the sound and the spot. “It bangs once, loud, and then will not move” points to a spring. “It grinds and the door does not budge” points to an opener gear. “It goes down four feet and comes back up” points to sensors or a track obstruction. “It is crooked and one side is higher” points to a cable.
Tell us that, plus the approximate age of the door and opener, and there is a good chance the right part is already on the truck. Call (224) 306-2985 — we are licensed, insured, and our technicians are W-2 employees, not subcontractors.
Frequently Asked Questions
My garage door reverses right before it closes. Is that the sensors?
Usually not. Reversing at the very bottom is more often the close-force or travel limit — the opener thinks it hit something when it actually hit the floor. Reversing partway down is more often a sensor or a track obstruction. That distinction is worth mentioning when you call.
Is it safe to keep using the door if it is noisy but still working?
Short term, usually. But new noise is information — a grinding opener, a bang, or a scraping roller means something has changed. Using it hard for another month often turns a roller or hinge replacement into a bent track.
How do I know if my spring is broken without climbing up there?
Stand on the floor and look at the spring bar above the opening. A broken torsion spring shows a clear gap in the coil, and you will usually have heard a loud bang from the garage at some point in the last day or two. Do not try to open the door with the opener after that — you will damage the opener trying to lift the full weight.
Garage Door Repair is Inevitable
Performing routine garage door maintenance can prevent and prolong most major issues. But over time, your garage door will wear out and may need repair or replacement.
Knowing the warning signs of a broken garage door is step one. Step two is knowing how to repair a garage door. When all else fails, call the professionals.
At AG Smart Garage we offer garage door repair, installation, and maintenance plus smart solutions. Call us today at 224-306-2985 for all your garage door needs.