Your commercial garage doors are designed to last through thousands of openings and closings, but eventually things go wrong. The problem may be due to an environmental factor, such as weather damage or a falling tree, or an accident, when a driver slams into the garage door. Also, wear and tear can eventually necessitate repairs or replacements.
Here are some of the scenarios that may require commercial door repair for your garage door.
Track damage
Garage doors open and close on metal tracks. Over time these tracks become corroded, disrupting the alignment of the door as it moves along the tracks. Tracks can go out of alignment when something jars the door, even when the door isn’t damaged. When tracks get out of alignment, the rollers may ruin the tracks, or the garage door motor may burn out as it strains to operate the door on the misaligned tracks.
Springs
A damaged torsion spring can account for a garage door not moving. If your door’s lifting power is provided by a torsion spring operated by an electric door opener, be aware that the springs are rated for a certain number of cycles – usually 10,000 up and down movements. Springs may rust, particularly in humid environments, or just wear out over time. A broken spring should be replaced.
Rollers
The door sits on wheels, which are the rollers that move the door along the tracks. Rollers may be nylon, plastic or metal. Depending on their quality, some rollers may wear out faster than others. As the radius of the wheel decreases, the wheel will then be narrow enough to slip off the track. Metal rollers are much preferred for this reason. Damaged rollers should be replaced.
Panels
Depending on how they are constructed, panels can separate, but may also malfunction when a panel is dented, perhaps by a moving vehicle. Sometimes a single panel can be repaired or replaced, but it’s possible the entire door will need replacement.
Cables
Garage doors have cables that do different things. If yours uses a torsion spring system, the door won’t move when the cable breaks. A sign they are giving out is when the door shakes or squeaks. Extension spring system cables should be inspected for signs of rust, fraying or pinching.
Most of these problems require a skilled technician to replace or repair the parts or the entire door. Good maintenance can help prolong the life of your commercial garage door, so find a company you trust with your commercial door repair.