The garage door is one of the largest moving parts on your home, so it’s no surprise that it can experience problems over time. Unfortunately, these issues can cost you money if you don’t take the proper measures to repair them before they become worse. Whether your garage door is acting up or not functioning at all, these DIY fixes can help you save some cash and get your garage door back to work in no time.

Loose Mounting Brackets

If your garage door opener seems to be having trouble opening or closing the garage door, loose mounting brackets are a common culprit. Start by disconnecting the opener (prioritizing safety!), then using a socket wrench, tighten each bolt until it is snug. You may need to replace the mounting brackets altogether, especially if they are loose or show signs of wear and tear.

Uneven Doors

A sagging or uneven garage door is usually caused by something blocking its path, such as an object, or an opener force setting that is too high. In some cases, simply clearing the path and realigning the sensors will fix the problem. If not, it’s often a good idea to replace the garage door springs and cables.

Noisy Garage Door

If your garage door makes a loud rattling noise when you operate the opener, this is probably due to worn or loose pulleys. To fix this, you’ll need to disassemble the pulleys from the cable by removing the metal attachment bracket that holds them in place. Once the old pulleys are removed, you can install new ones by threading the cable through each hole on the pulley and then reattaching the cable loop to the S-hook at the bottom of the garage door. The new pulleys should be color-coded and matched to the existing springs for proper tension.

Garage Door Sensor Issues

If you’ve noticed that your garage door isn’t activating at all when you press the button on the opener, it’s likely because the circuit breaker or fuse for the garage has tripped. If this is the case, you’ll need to reset the breaker or replace the fuse for the garage opener circuit before it will work again.

Garage Door Repair Mistakes

One of the biggest garage door repair mistakes is trying to solve an issue without fully understanding what’s going on with the system in the first place. This can lead to a trial-and-error approach that only fixes the symptoms of the problem, not the actual issue itself. This can ultimately cost you more money down the road when the same issue resurfaces.

Inspect your garage door and its components at least once per year to prevent minor problems from turning into major ones. This includes a visual inspection of the tracks, rollers, hinges, springs, and opener, a test of the safety eye sensors and auto-reverse feature, lubrication of metal parts, and replacement of torn or missing weather stripping. By taking these simple steps, you can keep your garage door running smoothly for years to come.