Ever wonder what the point of garage door cables are? The point of these cables is to keep the torsion and spring in your overall door system, without them the door will wear out and become damaged.
These cables also act like a safety net between your door tracks and springs. If for any reason the door should no longer work the cables will help prevent the door from flailing around.
The cables also help to lift and close the door between the springs and door tracks. They also help to ease the tension that would otherwise rely solely on the springs. This is important because this will help your garage door system last longer.
You can also replace these parts should they wear out over time. To better care for these cables and other parts of your garage door cables make sure to check how your hardware is doing.
For instance if you are having problems with the garage door lock this is probably because the lock bar maybe out of alignment. This can be adjusted and fixed by just loosening a few screws and realigning the lock bar so that the garage door lock is once again realigned.
Depending on the type of type of door you have, especially if its wood, you will want to stain both sides of the door to prevent warping. Moisture can and will subvert the paint on it causing it to warp and no longer work as your garage door. Many companies recommend that you repaint the door every one to two years in order to prevent any damage.
A garage door can fall out of alignment because of daily use, wear and tear. When this occurs the door becomes hard to lift and lower. The best way to prevent this is to inspect it every year and make sure that none of the hinges are worn and loose. Address any of these problems immediately because there is a chance they can worsen causing more damage to your garage door.
You can defend your door against these problems by simply lubricating the moving parts. Apply penetrating oil at least once a year. If you notice any loose screws or anything loose in general, tighten immediately. Preventing binding tracks must be properly aligned to guide the rollers. If one or two tracks need adjustment loosen the bolts and use hammer and a wood block to sway it in the proper direction, as shown at left. Then retighten the bolt.
If your door is sagging in the middle when it is raised you may want to consider calling a garage door contractor. They will be able to estimate and install metal reinforcing strips to prevent this type of sagging.
If you continue to have problems despite replacing what you think the problem might be it might be time for a new door.
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