Essentially, the garage door is the “real” front door for most homeowners. After a tiresome day at work, it is the main way we use, the route for our cars, and the most important layer of safety for our loved ones. We hardly even notice how well it works until one day it does not function, and you can’t help but wonder how you will leave your house when you’re already running late for your work, and you need the door to be opened in a hurry.
In an area like Smyrna, which is characterized by a fast-paced life, a broken garage door is not only a slight inconvenience but also a major disruption to your safety and the time you have planned. It can be a real lifesaver to see the signs of the door before it stops working completely, so that you do not get locked either inside or outside of your house. Below is a list of the indications that you require emergency intervention for your garage door the most.
1. The Terrible “Bang”: Broken Torsion Springs
The first and probably most frequent reason for an emergency call is the incidence of a broken torsion spring. In the case you are home when it happens, it is commonly mistaken for a gunshot or a loud firecracker coming from the garage.
A garage door can be quite heavy, and the springs are the ones that take the burden mostly. When the time comes for a spring to break, the opener is, therefore, surprisingly and forcibly the one that needs to do the heavy lifting, as it is only designed to handle a certain amount of weight. So if you find that there is a visible gap between the coils of the spring over your door, refrain from opening the door. Forcing the door with a broken spring can, consequently, result in burning your motor or snapping the cables, thereby causing the door to fall in an unsafe manner.
2. Response Times Are Much Slower Than Before
Does it happen on your doorstep that “thought” takes a few seconds to actually start working? Or maybe it just moves very slowly compared to last month? As it can be considered a minor failure, the biggest reason for the door to hesitate is that it is failing mechanically or electrically. It may be that the door cannot start because the lubricant has run out, the tracks are not aligned, or the motor is at the end of its useful life.
3. Loud Noises of Grinding or Scraping
A garage door should operate with a relatively consistent hum. However, if a door starts to produce new and uneasy sounds, it is in fact a kind of communication that it has a certain problem:
Grinding: Generally, this means that the metal rollers are getting worn out or the opener gear is getting the teeth stripped.
Squealing: Most of the time, a squealing sound indicates that there is a lot of friction and that the professional lubricating the door is urgently needed.
Banging/Clunking: This may point to a loose part or a door that has been detached from the track.
By ignoring these sounds, you do the same as if you ignored the “check engine” light. In the end, the friction will be to blame for the door completely binding.
4. High Energy Bills
This is a “hidden” sign pointing to a door in need of repair. If your garage is part of your home and you see that your heating or cooling bills are on the rise, then it is likely that the seals of your garage door have gone bad. In the event the door isn’t properly fitting the floor, or the weatherstripping has worn out, then what you are basically doing is leaving a window open to the Georgia humidity. Emergency repair of the modern kind not only fixes the “move,” but it also takes care of the “seal.”
An unbalanced door exerts a lot of pressure on the system as a whole. What is more, it is an entry point for insects and a security risk. In case your door is hanging unevenly, the best way to ensure the door doesn’t jump the tracks and cause property damage or injury is to seek garage door repair Smyrna GA immediately.
Reasons Why “DIY” Might Be Dangerous For Your Garage Door
You might be inclined to simply grab a wrench and try to do it by yourself by tightening those springs, but keep in mind that garage door systems operate under very high tension. Mistakes made while doing it yourself are the cause of thousands of accidents annually. Besides the tools that are specifically made for this kind of job, professionals also have insurance coverage that allows them to perform this kind of work in a safe manner.
A local partner who knows the urgency is what you need when you are stuck. Quick action is what makes a difference in the case of a broken spring during a thunderstorm or a door that won’t close, and you have to go to the airport. Smyrna residents trust the speed and accuracy of Total Garage Care, LLC to get their lives back on track. We are skilled at figuring out these “emergency” signs and offering long-term solutions that keep your family safe and your morning commute stress-free.
