Common Garage Door Problems in Oregon

Common Garage Door Problems in Oregon

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Homeowners in Oregon rely on their garage door and garage door openers to work correctly. Whether it is raining or snowing, it is pivotal that your garage door opens up and closes when you need it most. However, garage doors occasionally run into problems, such as the remote not working, the door not opening, or the door getting stuck. 

Valley Overhead Door understands your frustration when dealing with garage door problems! Read our guide outlining the most common garage door problems that homeowners in Oregon experience. For a severe garage door problem, submit a request for service or call us directly

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List of Common Garage Door Problems

1. Garage Door Remote Control Stopped Working

Whether your garage door remote won’t open as prompted or won’t operate consistently, it is best for garage door owners to understand why garage door remotes malfunction. If your garage door remote is not working properly, it is due to on of the following reasons:

  • Remote batteries are low or dead
  • Remote signal is disrupted
  • Lock button on the wall-mounted control is engaged
  • Remote needs reprogramming
  • Door control’s wiring is malfunctioning
  • Ground fault interpreter (GFI) is blown

If you are experiencing an issue with your garage door remote, please get in touch with us today to schedule an appointment for one of our experienced technicians to come out and diagnose the issue!

2. Garage Door Won’t Open & Close Properly

In some cases, garage doors will not open and close properly. You may notice that the garage door wheel, also known as a roller, is not on the track. It is also possible that you will attempt to open the door and it stops halfway through, or you open the door without an issue but experience trouble as it closes, or vice versa. In any case, one of three things is likely occurring.

  • Limits are off
  • Rollers are Damaged
  • Photo-Eyes are faulty

If your limits are off or your photo-eye sensor is faulty, you can start by looking for guidance in the garage door opener manual. Usually, both the garage door limits and the photo-eye sensor are adjustable. In the case that your rollers are damaged, it is best to contact us immediately to inspect the issue and repair it accordingly!

3. Garage Door Reverses Before It Hits the Floor

Two possible problems can cause a garage door to reverse before it touches the floor:

First, the garage door openers have an adjustment screw that controls closing force, and the close-force setting needs to be adjusted. The friction of the door rollers within the tracks is causing the door opener to incorrectly thinking the door reached the floor. Adjusting the sensitivity will solve this problem.

Second, there is damage to the rollers. Damage or rust to the rollers causes friction while the door is closing, causing the opener to stop before it hits the floor. Inspect your rollers and ensure they are well lubricated to solve this problem.

4. Garage Door Reverses After It Hits the Floor

If you close your garage door and it reverses right after it hits the floor, then you have an issue with your close-limit switch. You can prevent this from happening by adjusting the close-limit screw on the door opener motor. Adjust the close-limit screw in small increments until the door stops when it touches the floor.

5. Garage Door Becomes Stuck

One of the most frustrating problems that happen with garage doors is when the door becomes stuck. When a door is stuck, it is usually caused by something in the opening machinery going bad. The chain could be off the track, the machine could need lubricant, or the power supply could be out. If you have trouble identifying why your garage door is stuck, call a professional to help identify the issue and repair the garage door.

6. Garage Door is off of its Hinges

Garage doors move off their hinge when the horizontal tracks become misaligned. Tracks become misaligned when the bolts on the bracket holding the tracks become loose or unscrewed completely. If the garage door has fallen onto the floor, it would be best to call a professional immediately. If the garage door is still on the track, close the garage door and tighten the bolts that hold the bracket in place. After tightening the bolts, ensure that everything is parallel.

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7. Garage Door Motor Won’t Turn Off

Your garage door motor staying on is an unusual problem, but it does occur at times. If the motor won’t turn off, it means that the up-limit switch is too close to your motor unit. Move the up-limit switch away from the motor unit, and your garage door motor will turn off.

8. Garage Door Opener Won’t Work Because Your Home Lost Power

In the case that your home loses power completely, you can open the garage door manually. Start by pulling the emergency cord on your garage door opener to deactivate the motor. You can then proceed to open the garage door!

9. Garage Door Makes Loud Noise When Opening & Closing

Have you recently opened or closed your garage door and heard a loud, squeaky, or grinding noise? The problem is most likely being caused by your door’s rollers. In order to stop loud or squeaky noises being made by your garage door, regularly lubricate all the moving parts of the door.

Clopay Pro Lube Synthetic Garage Door Lubricant is a great option to lubricate your loud garage door! You can find Clopay’s Garage Door Lubricant at your local Home Depot.

10. Garage Door has Damage or Rust

Garage door owners in Oregon know that their garage door can take a beating during the different seasons of the year. Whether it is wind, rain, hail, or snow, garage doors in Oregon take severe abuse. Visible trauma to a garage door can be fixed if addressed promptly!

Dents are the most common garage door damage. Residents in Oregon also have to consider rust depending on the material of their door. Whether it is dents or rust, it is best to address the damage as soon as possible to avoid the damage from escalating and ruining your garage door.

11. Garage Door is not Properly Sealed

The garage door seal is pivotal for keeping out water and improving the insulation of the garage and your home. However, many people do not check their seal until it is too late. Garage door seals need to be replaced as seals become old and less pliable.

You can check your current garage door seal by trying the following:

  • Close your garage door and check for light peaking through between the bottom of the door and the floor.
  • Take water, splash it against the base of your garage door, and then check the inside of the garage to determine if the water came through the seal.
  • Search for a draft coming through the bottom of the garage door by holding a piece of paper or cloth to the bottom of the garage door and seeing if it moves from a draft coming from under the door.
  • Visually review the garage door to determine if the garage door has warped or if the seal is discolored.

If you determine that your seal is not working correctly, you are in luck! It is relatively easy to replace your garage door seal. Remove the old seal first and then tack the new seal to the bottom of the garage door.

12. Garage Door Doesn’t Open in Cold Weather

As the temperature drops, your garage door may stop working. Whether it is a cold morning or the middle of winter, you rely on your garage door to work. Several problems can cause your garage door to stop working in the cold.

  • Hardened grease
  • Lack of grease
  • Metal contracts and seizes springs, hinges and rollers
  • Misaligned or warped tracks
  • Broken spring
  • Frozen seal

The best way to prevent garage door problems in the winter is to perform preventative maintenance on your garage door system! This includes applying solvent to rollers, hinges, and tracks, lubricating pulleys, keeping your system clean, and ensuring that all of your screws and bolts are tight. Maintaining your garage door prior to the winter will ensure that your garage door works even while the temperature drops.

Professional Garage Door Repair in Oregon

When your garage door is running correctly, you are most likely not spending too much time thinking about it. However, as soon as it breaks, you will know it. Garage door issues can stem from several different factors, but it is bound to easily disrupt your ability to enter and exit your home.

If you live near Albany, Salem, or Corvallis, Oregon, and are looking to repair your garage door, look no further! Valley Overhead Door serves the Willamette Valley and has over 20 years of experience repairing garage doors. We can identify and fix any problem your garage door is experiencing and get your garage back to normal in no time.

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Contact Valley for Garage Door Services in Oregon

If you require any repair services, Valley Overhead Door is happy to assist. Submit a request for service, or give us a call, and we’ll get started right away!

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