Knowing the signs that your garage door needs repair can save you time, money, prevent more serious damage, and significantly reduce the need for emergency repair services. Here are 7 common warning signs that your garage door needs attention.

1. Garage Door Hesitates or Stalls

A garage door that hesitates or stalls when opening or closing may indicate abnormal working conditions, including the following: worn garage door opener gears, a worn belt (if you have a belt-driven door opener), an imbalanced garage door, worn or broken springs, worn rollers, or a bent or cracked door panel.

2. Irregular Noises

Irregular noises, such as screeching, grinding, and rattling, may indicate that your garage door needs lubrication, isn’t balanced properly, has malfunctioning rollers, worn or broken bearings, hinges, or springs, frayed cables, a misaligned torsion assembly, tracks, or supporting brackets. Additionally, the electric opener may need adjustment.

3. Popping Sounds

Popping sounds coming from the garage door during an opening or closing cycle may indicate that the door sections are starting to fail under their own weight. Garage door sections can fail and buckle due to factors such as insufficient strength, inadequate thickness, and improper support. This will eventually impede the garage door from closing, potentially causing it to come off the tracks or even fall to the ground. Additionally, rust could also contribute to these issues, with rust formation on garage doors being more common in humid and coastal areas.

4. Garage Door Not Opening Properly

A garage door that doesn’t open all the way may indicate problems with the garage door, including balance or binding. Additionally, issues with the electric door opener, such as a decalibrated or worn motor, could be a factor. Problems with the springs are also potential culprits. If your spring or springs are broken, the garage door would only open a few inches. Springs typically break when they reach the end of their cycle life. However, excessive friction, rust, corrosion, and other factors can shorten the spring’s lifespan, causing them to wear out sooner than expected.

5. Garage Door Not Closing Properly

A garage door that is not closing properly may indicate issues with the door balance, the springs, and problems with the electric door opener, such as a worn motor, gears, or belt. If your garage door won’t close all the way, goes down a little bit, and then pops back up, it could be due to a defective limit switch or module, or malfunctioning photo eyes or RPM sensor.

6. Cracked or Broken Windows

Broken garage door windows offer an invitation to burglars and provide easy access for hornets, mosquitoes and other insects. Note that if your door window’s glass is secured by vinyl clips, these clips may not be readily available, as using them is an outdated method for constructing garage doors and securing the glass in place.

7. Garage Door Opener Fails to Lock Automatically

Celling-mount garage door openers come equipped with an automatic locking mechanism that secures the door in both the open and closed positions. If a garage door can be pulled manually despite being connected to the opener, it may indicate a faulty locking mechanism or a problem with the opener’s gear and sprocket assembly. Note that side-mount garage door openers (jackshaft) don’t have a locking mechanism; instead, they use an automatic deadbolt.

What to Do If Your Garage Door Is Showing Signs of Wear

Do not ignore the signs. The garage door is a large and heavy moving object, comprised of numerous mechanical components and moving parts that are subject to normal wear and tear. Any malfunction of your garage door can cause difficulty opening or closing the door, and in some cases, may even pose a safety hazard to the surroundings. The earlier you address problems with your garage door, the less likely you are to experience major issues that could result in costly repairs.

You can help prevent breakdowns by periodically inspecting both the garage doors and the associated equipment. It is recommended to inspect your garage doors a couple of times a year to ensure that they are working properly. Along with performing your own garage door inspection, having a licensed garage door repair company inspect your garage doors once a year can also help ensure safe operation and extend the garage door’s lifespan.