How to Recognize Unbalanced Long Beach Garages and What to Do About the Doors
There’s no doubt about it; the garage door is made to last you for decades. However, that is only possible if you are taking the proper steps to take care of it throughout its lifespan. However, there are simply some issues that occur that may not be so noticeable at the beginning. One of those includes an unbalanced garage door. Contrary to popular belief, Long Beach garages are not always going to be clearly unbalanced. Sometimes the unevenness can be a few inches, while other times, the difference can be major. This is the reason why homeowners must understand how to recognize an unbalanced garage door and what they can do about it. Read on to learn further about this issue and even how you can avoid it in the first place.
Looking for the Signs of an Unbalanced Garage Door
Before you can fix the issue, homeowners first need to understand the signs of an unbalanced garage door. As mentioned above, not all unbalanced garage doors will be easily noticeable, and spotting the problem in time is critical to seeing a positive outcome. Below are three of the most common signs that may appear during this type of situation.
1. Long Beach Garages and Heaviness
If you ever notice something off with your garage door, the first thing you want to do is check the balance of the door. This can be done in a variety of ways, but often the most effective is by simply switching the door to manual mode. Most, if not all, Long Beach garages have a bright rope at the very top hooked up to a lever. When this rope is pulled, your door can now be opened and closed manually.
So, how does this help to determine an unbalanced door? The heaviness of the door is a tall tale sign that your garage door is possibly unbalanced. This is because a balanced door will run smoothly up the tracks, thus needing little effort to push up. Any resistance means that there is one side not holding its even weight, thus making the movements difficult to execute. In many cases, this is how garage door repairs companies test for an unbalanced door.
2. Damaged Garage Components
More often than not, when a garage door is unbalanced, it is often not the first thing homeowners notice. In fact, most people will call a garage door repair Long Beach company to check out another component of their garage, such as their garage door opener. However, any professional will quickly figure out that the door’s components are becoming damaged due to an unbalanced door. See, when a garage door is unbalanced, it is moving unnaturally throughout the tracks. This means that the tracks, nuts, bolts, and cables are all working double to ensure that the door works as intended. However, that unnatural movement will begin to take its toll and damage the components after a while.
3. Slow Movements
If the garage door is not visually unbalanced, another sign you want to look for is a sluggish movement of the door when you go to use it. Most garage door installation companies will make sure that your door moves at a slow pace in order to minimize accidents from happening. However, if the door is much more sluggish than usual, it could mean that it’s because your opener, along with the rest of the components, are working extra hard to bring it up and down.
How to Deal With an Unbalanced Garage Door
Next comes the steps you need to take once you discover that your door is unbalanced. It must be noted that this recommendation should only be performed if there is no damage to the door or its components, as it can not only damage your door further but may even pose a risk to yourself and your family’s safety.
Use Manual Mode to Fix an Unbalanced Garage Door
Earlier, we spoke about the manual mode feature. Although it’s a great way to test if your door is unbalanced, it can also be a way to fix the issue. First, consult with your owner manual as it may hold recommendations for your specific door. If there is none, simply pull the red rope to initiate manual mode. WARNING, before you pull the rope, make sure that the door is in the closed position. Going into manual mode while the door is up can cause it to suddenly collapse onto the floor.
Once that is done, you will simply run the garage door up the track system. A good height would be around three to four feet. The door should place itself back into its correct position. If it doesn’t, you may have either some debris in the way or your components are not lubricated enough. Once that is taken care of, you can now properly test the door. Slowly release some pressure off the door and see if the cables and tension springs are supporting it. If they are, that means the door is properly balanced once again.
When a Professional Is Needed
If the technique mentioned above does not work or there is simply too much damage to the components of your garage door, you may need to call a garage door repair Long Beach company to take care of the issue. This is due to the fact that certain dangerous components (tension springs) may need to be dealt with, and only a professional is experienced enough to handle it. In addition, they will be able to inform you of other pending issues with your door. Although homeowners may not like the expense, the fact is that allowing the issue to continue will often cost more in the way of component replacements, installation, and labor costs, to name a few.
