A crooked or lopsided door can affect your garage door system’s performance and safety and impact your property’s visual appeal. To address an uneven door, it’s essential to understand the causes of a crooked door, symptoms of a structural balance issue and options for repairs.
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Why Do Garage Doors Become Uneven?
There are various causes of uneven garage doors. Understanding why your door is imbalanced can help you prevent accidents and protect yourself and your loved ones. Common reasons for a shifted garage door include:
- Broken torsion springs
- Misaligned rollers and tracks
- Old or damaged cables
Crooked Garage Door Diagnosis: Balance Test and Signs of an Imbalance
Checking the above core system components — your rollers, cables and springs — can help you determine or identify your door’s issues. Another way to diagnose the cause of your lopsided system is to run a simple balance test. You can do this by following these steps:
- Close the door.
- If the door is automatic, detach it from the opener by pulling the manual release line. This will give you manual control.
- Open the door halfway and let it go. A skewed door will sag or drop, while a balanced one will stay in place.
- Reconnect the garage opener.
The balance test is a simple way to gauge whether you have a crooked door. From there, you can take steps to restore it and ensure a stable, secure system. You can also diagnose an unbalanced door by looking for these door symptoms:
- Appears uneven when you open or close it.
- Makes strange sounds, such as grinding, when you use it.
- Won’t open at all.
- Takes long or struggles to open or close.
- Sags or slants at the top when open.
- Leaves an uneven gap above the floor when closed.
How to Fix an Uneven Garage Door
Depending on the cause of your system’s unevenness, there are a few ways to fix your crooked garage door. For example, it may be necessary to align or tighten the tracks, lubricate the system components or adjust the cables. While some of these fixes may seem easy, it’s highly recommended that you hire an expert to repair your garage door.
A professional garage door company can implement these repairs with efficiency and accuracy. They can conduct meticulous inspections of your system and identify the cause of your imbalance. They can also make changes that truly address the cause of the imbalance — even if it means replacing components in your system. Although DIY fixes may work in the short term, there’s no certainty that your changes will be effective long-term, which can cost you more in replacements and repairs later.
Expert garage door contractors can also complete repairs while taking the necessary safety precautions. Your garage door system is complicated and technical, and trying to repair it by yourself can lead to significant safety issues. A professional can keep you and your loved ones safe and protect your property from damage during the repair.
Contact Easy Open Door for High-Quality Repairs
At Easy Open Door, we provide comprehensive overhead door services in San Diego, including repairs, installation and maintenance. We can restore your garage door system and address the root of lopsided garage doors.
If your garage door has significant issues that require a replacement, we can complete extensive installations. Trust our qualified technicians to deliver quality repairs and installation solutions for your home or business. Request a free estimate, or schedule service for your property today!
