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As a responsible homeowner, being knowledgeable about the things in your house is a must!
Knowing what constitutes home objects is necessary, for it helps owners find an immediate solution whenever a problem occurs.
This would enable do-it-yourself initiatives if applicable and determines when to ask for help because of it being beyond basic capabilities.
This includes the garage door.
It will help owners identify what is wrong, allowing immediate repairs nowadays, especially.
Modern garage doors are now powered by a switch and remote control, unlike in the past wherein unlocking it is done physically by sliding up the rail tracks.
Although this innovation is convenient, awareness is still critical to prepare for any unlikely circumstances.
Limitations and the necessary work required would be identified by knowing how it functions as a whole and its parts individually.
It will also lessen the tendencies of it getting broken.
The four essential parts of a garage door are springs, pulleys, chains, and power.
Springs
The metal coils assigned in heavy lifting are called the springs.
These parts are responsible for raising and lowering the garage door itself.
It comes in two types: torsion and extension.
Torsion springs are the common ones located on top.
The function of these springs is to raise and to lower garage doors using cable winding on drums.
These springs are safer with a longer duration on average.
Its energy is derived from it being twisted.
On the other hand, extension springs assist the torsion springs.
It can be found on the top, extending along the horizontal tracks on each side.
While torsion springs are considered more durable, extension springs are torn out quickly because its friction is greater.
It functions by being stretched rather than twisted.
Pulleys
To exhibit the springs’ full potential, pulleys are required.
Each garage door has four pulleys.
On each side of the tracks, two of these pulleys with pulley forks are attached.
Meanwhile, the other two are stationary pulleys on top of the horizontal track, facing the radius track.
When pulleys are worn out, garage doors cannot function properly, disabling its full potential in opening and closing.
Moreover, if any annoying scraping noises are heard, a worn ball bearing might be its cause.
It makes the pulley grind the track angle, which is not normal.
Furthermore, if the door binds, a split pulley caused by a failed rivet triggers this.
The worst-case scenario is the door jerking, or when the door shifts irregularly, your only choice is to replace your pulleys.
Chains
Chains are the fundamental metal manacles found in a chain-driven garage door opener.
This part is responsible for driving the trolley that raises and lowers the door.
This part is the most common for homeowners because chain-driven doors are usually cheaper and undeniably durable.
Trouble arises when the chains start to loosen.
Loose garage door chain produces slapping sounds, knocking along the rails, and some jerky door movements, smacking the rollers against the tracks.
Worry not, this problem is common and expected since chains are overworked in nature.
The chains become slack from everyday use due to the motor’s vibration and the apparent heavy weight of the door.
To resolve this issue, you can refer to your manual for the procedure.
It will instruct you to tighten the chains, then lubricate the parts with grease.
Power
Nowadays, garage doors are influenced by technological advancements.
The modern-day innovation requires power to function properly.
Unlike the garage doors in the past where it requires manual force to open, modernity made the task easier by relying upon power.
When a power outage happens, homeowners must acquire the knowledge on how to open it by themselves.
The first step to do is to make sure that the door is in a down position.
Then, pull the emergency release cord as it is designed for unlikely situations.
Next, manually move the door to open and closed positions (although heavy, it can be lifted if there is nothing wrong with the springs).
Afterward, attach the emergency release cord towards the door.
Lastly, re-establish the connection between the trolley and the opener carriage.
If there is something wrong with your garage doors, do not hesitate to ask for immediate assistance from garage door repair specialists.
There are services available in Toronto, Mississauga, Newmarket, and Markham.
