Pembroke Pines Garage Door Repairs After a Foundation Shift

Foundation shifts are normal for a newly constructed home. Homes do tend to settle and this can cause the foundation to shift around a bit during this time. When a foundation shift does occur it can cause the garage door to fall out of alignment.

Garage doors work on a careful system of pulleys and cables to operate smoothly. This system is carefully balanced and a foundation shift can cause the garage door to stop working.

Warning Signs Your Garage Door May Be Out of Balance

Garage doors will often show a few warning signs they’re starting to come off the track or have become unbalanced due to a foundation shift. While being an expert in garage door repair is certainly not required, homeowners should still be able to identify these issues when they crop up.

The first warning sign is if the garage door is having difficult going up or down. Daily use can wear out rollers over time, but if a garage door is continually having issues it could be a balancing problem. Giving the track and rollers a cursory inspection for obvious issues like normal wear and tear is recommended. Debris can get caught in these components and may need to be cleaned out with a used toothbrush and a clean rag.

Listening and watching the garage door rolling up and down is another surefire way to spot any problems ahead of time. Depending on the garage door it may make some noise while it’s rolling up, but there should be no screeching or groaning. Screeching or groaning can indicate the garage door is having issues with its collision springs and these may need to be replaced.

The Tracks Could Be Coming Off the Wall

Homeowners will definitely want to give their garage door repair Pembroke Pines people a call if the tracks are coming off the wall. One of the most common issues with a foundation shift is they will often affect the tracks. The tracks should be tightly bolted to the side of the garage, but in some cases they’re not installed properly. Improper installation can cause the tracks to start fall off from the garage wall or simply rattle loose given enough time.

Check to make sure the tracks are firmly bolted onto garage wall. The track could also be bent due to a foundation shift or showing signs of stress if no preventative maintenance has been performed in the past. Checking for loose nuts and bolts is also recommended if the track appears loose or rattles too much when the garage door is being lifted or lowered.

When Should Homeowners Contact Their Garage Door Repairman?

Garage doors do require preventative maintenance, some of which can be performed by homeowners. Homeowners should always contact their Pembroke Pines garage door repair company for serious repairs and issues that crop up. Garage doors may seem simple in nature, but they’re still complicated pieces of machinery. Their entire system of pulleys and cables relies on each component working in tangent with one another. When one of these components is thrown out of alignment, the entire system stops functioning properly.

The best way to avoid issues with a foundation shift is to always check the track and other components of the garage door. During a foundation shift a track may need to be readjusted to compensate for the change in balance so the garage door continued to operate smoothly. Double checking the rollers, tightening loose nuts and bolts, and even doing a quick check of the garage door itself goes a long way to preventing major issues.

Remember to have your garage door inspected annually too in order to catch issues ahead of time. The majority of issues with garage doors can be caught ahead of time with proper foresight and attention to detail. When a repair is needed, leave it to the experts.