Your garage door is an essential part of your home. Used every day, it serves as a shelter, recreational area, extra layer of security, and even an accessory to your homes overall facade. Unfortunately, the wear and tear on this important gadget often gets overlooked. If you want to ensure the warning signs don’t get missed, check out our top indicators that something is wrong with your garage door! 

DELAYED OPERATION WHEN USING THE REMOTE

Once you have pressed the button on your garage opener, the door itself should begin opening within a few seconds. If there is a delay – or worse, no response at all – there could be an issue with your garage door. First, change the batteries on the remote. If there is still a delayed response, your garage’s opening mechanism likely needs repair. 

THE GARAGE DOOR OPENS VEEEEERY SLOWLY

All things take time…but if your garage door is taking too much time to open, it could indicate the need for repair to the torsion springs. Because of the high tension these springs are under, it’s best to let the pros handle this problem! 

YOUR GARAGE DOOR IS MAKING A RUCKUS

Has your garage door suddenly become vocal? While some level of noise is normal, it’s important to keep an ear out for sounds such as squeaking, scraping, and rattling. These noises could mean that some of the various moving parts of your garage door need a tune up. If your garage door is rattling, be sure to have the screws and rollers repaired immediately.  

THE GARAGE DOOR IS SAGGING

Little by little, day by day, your garage door relaxes a little more. Until one day, it’s suddenly sagging to one side and you have no idea how it got this far. Sagging garage doors happen gradually, but are often overlooked until they’re obvious! This is typically caused by worn springs or dull tracks. But you should try to have the door checked by a professional before attempting to tighten bolts or other maintenance on your own.

Don’t miss the signs! When it comes to catching problems ahead of time, four eyes are better than two. Hire a professional to help with a garage door inspection, and together we can ensure your garage door is operating smoothly and safely. Contact our reliable and professional repairman at 905-602-6550 (Mississauga) or 416-502-2212 (Toronto).

A high-quality garage door should have a smooth and quiet operation. But over time, even the highest quality doors will experience wear and tear that could result in unpleasant noises. If you find yourself wondering whether these noises are indicative of a bigger issue, this blog is for you! Read on to find out why your garage door may be making noise.

Squeaking Noises

A squeaking sound could signal a loose roller or hinge. High pitched squeaks can normally be silenced with a bit of lubricant! Grab your favorite grease and apply it to the rollers and tracks. Use a silicone-based lubricant around the frame, between the panels, and along the weather stripping.

Grinding Noises

A garage door grinding noise could be from a loose roller or hinge. If the grinding continues after applying some lubricant, it’s most likely time to call in the professionals. You may need to replace your rollers or hinges. While some homeowners prefer metal, if you are replacing your rollers you may want to opt for nylon ones. These rollers are both quieter and require less lubricant than their metal counterparts.

Rattling Noises

Your garage door is the home to dozens of nuts, bolts, and screws. Over time, all these little parts can become loose, and you may begin to hear some rattling. Luckily, a wrench and socket set makes it easy to tighten all those nuts and bolts! Just be sure to avoid hardware and parts that are connected to the garage’s spring system. Other times, rattling may indicate the garage door has come off it’s track.

Popping Noises

In many cases, popping noises indicate one of your torsion springs have snapped. For this particular noise, you will want to call a professional. Torsion springs are under a high amount of pressure, and inadvertently messing with them while trying to fix them can result in serious injury.

Our local professionals are experts in garage door troubleshooting. If you have concerns about your garage door, we will help you eliminate any existing noises and prevent future issues. Don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-602-6550.

Despite garages being one of the most used spaces in homes, they are also commonly the most cluttered. A detailed spring cleaning can help to declutter what has become a dumping ground for junk that limits your ability to both park, store, and work inside your garage. We’ve put together a Garage Spring Cleaning Checklist to help you cultivate a tidier, more functional garage.

Have A Plan

Have a game plan of what you want to accomplish with this garage spring cleaning project. A checklist can help with this. Assign tasks to family members, take your time, maintain a sense of purpose, and eye towards finishing your goal. You can listen to your favorite music, podcast, or sports game to add a little more excitement to the experience.

Declutter your garage

Remove everything from the garage that’s not permanently placed there. You can sort everything into three piles: keep, donate, discard. A good question to ask yourself as you go through items is whether you have used it in the past year. If it no longer sparks joy and is simply gathering dust – toss or donate it! For discarded items, be sure to check product labels for pesticides, motor oil, solvents and other chemicals to determine best disposal methods.

Wipe down and sweep out the garage

Wipe down any shelving or flat surfaces (aside from the floor). Garage slatwall panels are very easy to clean with just a rag, but perhaps the material on your garage wall is drywall or brick. If so, just giving the walls a downward sweep with a broom will remove some of the dirt and dust that’s accumulated. Use the broom to remove any cobwebs you see as well.

Hose out your garage

Now it’s time to wash your garage floor with your garden hose and a gentle cleaner! After you’ve given everything a good scrub, you can use a clean broom to sweep the excess water out of the garage interior. Wait for all the surfaces to completely dry before putting your newly sorted items back inside.  

Clean and inspect your garage doors and opener

Next, it’s time to clean your garage door. Rinse it off with a hose and then wipe it down using a sponge, dish detergent, and water. For any window panels or inserts on the garage door, see the next garage spring cleaning tip. Be sure to attend to both sides of your garage door. If you happen to notice any damage or extreme rust to the mechanisms of your garage door opener, it’s a good idea to have the entire system inspected by a professional. Don’t hesitate to call us at 1-888-602-6550.

Ah, the garage door! A beneficial piece of hardware most of us use every day. Whether we are going to work or storing the kids’ bicycles; we expect the garage to work day in and day out. What many of us often overlook is just how complex these mechanisms actually are! Especially when you consider how much daily use they endure. Eventually, wear and tear will rear its head. At which time you will need to decide: call a professional or do it yourself?

To make your decision a little easier, below you will find incidents in which you should 100% call in the pro’s:

• Broken Springs: Your garage door springs face constant pressure. When one breaks, it is imperative to have a professional replace them to ensure they are installed correctly using the proper safety precautions.
• Broken Hardware: One hinge may be doable. But replacing multiple hinges or other pieces of hardware requires the practiced eye of a pro!
• Broken or Cracked Door Panels: Doors weigh a lot more than you may think. Any door repair will require at least two people who are familiar with safely replacing panels.
• Broken Wheels: Replacing wheels can be a tedious job. This is because the door track can easily be bent if not done correctly.
• Weather Stripping Between Panels: Weather stripping located along the sides or bottom of your garage door is an easy DIY job. Weather stripping between panels, however, is an entirely different ball game. You should call your local garage repair technician for help.
• Dents and Dings: While a good ole fashioned plunger may relieve some dents and dings, deeper damages require replacement. Perhaps even an entirely new garage door!
• Broken Automatic Opener: Automatic openers have many different moving parts and components, as well as electrical wiring. Due to electrical hazards, it is best to have a garage door technician complete the work.

As with all complex hardware, it is essential to know when things are just beyond your skills. There can be certain risks and hazards of attempting certain garage door repairs on your own that could lead to additional door damages and personal injuries. In other instances, it may be more beneficial and cost-effective to have a new door installed rather than repair your existing one.

Family owned and operated since 1946, Adams Door Systems can provide you with the leading array of residential garage door solutions in the Greater Toronto Area. Whether you’re looking for repairs or replacements, we are here to help.