Your garage door relies on precise metal tracks to move up and down. When these tracks shift out of alignment, the door can bind, potentially trapping your car inside or leaving your home exposed to the Gig Harbor weather.
Spotting the early warning signs of misalignment helps you prevent a major breakdown and know exactly when to call professional garage door repair contractors for help.
Signs You Have a Track Problem
You do not need to be a mechanic to spot track issues. Your garage door will often tell you something is wrong through noise or strange movement.
Rubbing or Grinding Noises
A healthy garage door is relatively quiet. The rollers should glide inside the metal rails without much sound. If you hear a loud rubbing noise or a metal-on-metal grinding sound, the alignment is likely off. This sound happens because the rollers are being forced against the side of the track instead of floating in the center. It creates friction that damages both the roller and the metal rail.
The Door Looks Crooked
One of the easiest ways to spot a problem is to look at the door when it is closed. Stand inside your garage and look at the bottom of the door where it meets the floor. The seal should be even all the way across. If you see light shining through on one side or if one side of the door looks higher than the other, the tracks are not parallel. This gap lets rain and pests into your garage.
Slow or Jerky Movement
Watch the door as it opens. It should move at a steady speed. If the door slows down in a specific spot or jerks as it passes a certain point, the track might be bent or too tight. This binding puts a lot of stress on your automatic opener. If you ignore it, the motor can burn out from working too hard. Before that happens, local garage door repair contractors can adjust the alignment to save your motor from failure.
Why Tracks Get Misaligned
Tracks are bolted to the walls of your garage, but they can still move over time. Understanding why this happens can help you be more careful around your door.
Loose Hardware
Every time your garage door moves, it creates vibration. Over many years, this vibration can cause the bolts and screws holding the tracks to loosen. When the bolts are loose, the weight of the door pushes the tracks out of position. This is a common issue in older homes.
Accidental Impacts
The vertical tracks near the floor are very easy to hit. You might bump one with your car bumper, a bicycle, or a lawnmower. Even a small dent can stop a roller from passing through. If the metal bends inward, it acts like a brake for the door.
Age and Settling
Houses in Gig Harbor can settle over time. As the frame of the house shifts, the garage door opening can change slightly. This can throw the tracks out of square. Professional garage door repair contractors have the tools to measure this shift and adjust the tracks to match the new position of the walls.
The Dangers of Ignoring the Issue
A misaligned track is a safety hazard. If the tracks are too wide apart, the rollers risk derailing completely. This causes the door to swing loose or fall to the floor. A falling garage door is extremely heavy and can crush anything in its path.
Even if the door does not fall, the friction strips the gears in your opener. You might end up paying for a new motor when a simple track adjustment would have fixed the problem. Fixing the alignment early is the best way to extend the life of your system.
Safe Inspection Tips
You can check your tracks without any tools. Stand inside the garage with the door closed. Look at the vertical metal rails. They should be perfectly straight up and down. Look at the bolts that hold the tracks to the wall brackets. If any look loose or are missing, you have found the problem.
Please do not try to hammer a bent track back into place or loosen the bolts while the door is under tension. The cables and springs near the tracks hold a lot of power. Loosening the wrong bolt can cause serious injury. It is much safer to let qualified garage door repair contractors handle the physical adjustments.
Related Articles:
- Why You Need a Professional for Misaligned Tracks in Puyallup
- Why Your Garage Door Went Off Track: Federal Way Tips
Fix Bent Tracks with Expert Garage Door Repair Contractors
A misaligned track can quickly lead to a burnt-out motor or a fallen door. If you notice your door isn’t moving smoothly this winter, contacting experienced garage door repair contractors in Gig Harbor is the best way to ensure your system is balanced and secure.
All Service Garage Doors helps homeowners in Gig Harbor fix track issues quickly. We can realign your tracks, tighten loose hardware, and replace bent rails. We handle all the work ourselves to ensure high quality.
Contact us today for a free estimate and reliable service.