Most of the time, your garage door works beautifully — you don’t even have to think about it. And then suddenly it doesn’t. Your day comes crashing to a screeching halt. You find yourself calling an Uber because you can’t get out of the garage door. You’re late for work. And your whole day is ruined — all because of one simple mechanical problem with your garage door.

It’s frustrating — we get that. It’s why we feature 24/7 emergency garage door and gate repair. We can fix your garage door anytime, day or night. And most likely, the repair is fairly minor. You might even be able to do it yourself.

Here are 4 common garage door problems to be on the lookout for:

Your Garage Door Springs Have Broken Down

Your overhead door either has extension springs (found at each side of the garage door) or torsion springs (found at the top center of the door header). When they begin to deteriorate, your door will let you know pretty clearly. Overhead door springs are under immense tension, which makes them prone to wear and tear over time. You’ll notice the following issues rather quickly:

• Noisy Operation: Squeaking, grinding, or popping sounds can indicate that the springs are wearing out.
• Jerky Movements: A jerky or uneven motion while opening or closing suggests uneven tension or spring failure.
• Slow Lifting or Fast Lowering: Springs losing their strength may cause the door to lift sluggishly or close faster than usual, posing a safety risk.
• Complete Malfunction: When a spring breaks entirely, your garage door will no longer operate. If it happens while the door is open, the door can crash down with dangerous force.

Extension springs are rated to last 10000 cycles, which roughly equates to 5 years. Garage door torsion springs, depending on the rating, can last up to 30000 cycles, and usually work for around 10 years. However, regardless of the spring age, if you notice problems like rust, deformation, bends, etc., call the pros.

Garage door springs: DIY or NO?

NO. Garage door springs, torsion or extension, are not safe to repair or replace yourself. Always call a professional garage door repair company for problems with springs.

The Sensors are Dirty or Malfunctioning

If you’ve ever hit the switch on your garage door only for it to reverse on you almost immediately, this indicates there may be an issue with your sensor eyes. There are two sensor lasers found on the base of both sides of your garage door and are responsible for the function of the safety reverse on the garage door opener. 

These sensors need to stay aligned and clean for the door to operate correctly. A dirty or misaligned sensor will prevent operation of your garage door. Common problems with sensors are gunky lenses, obstruction, light intrusion, or rf interference. 

Garage door sensor eyes: DIY or NO?

DIY. Photo eyes are safe and simple whether you need to clean, adjust, repair, or replace.

The Cables on the Overhead Door have Snapped

Garage door cables are attached to your spring and help operate the door. Over time, these cables can become frayed and eventually snap. To prevent this, regularly inspect your cables for signs of damage and have them replaced them before they break. This is another garage door part that presents risk to everything around it when it breaks, and results in total failure of the garage door.

Garage door cables: DIY or NO?

NO. Like springs, cables are holding the weight of the door. When they snap, the door will be inoperable and might pose a danger. Replacing cables is unsafe to do yourself, and it also takes a lot of post-installation fine-tuning that’s better done by a professional.

The Door Has Gone Off Track

An overhead door going off track is usually simple to diagnose, as you’ll notice it’s completely crooked or nonfunctional. This usually happens if you accidentally drive into the garage door with your vehicle or it gets hit with a heavy object. However, it can also happen if you neglect your garage door. 

Your garage door is comprised of many parts that work together to balance the door so it moves smoothly through the garage door tracks. Gunk, bent tracks, broken rollers, rust, and other problems can cause the door to become unbalanced. If left to fester, the door can easily come off track.

Garage door tracks: DIY or NO?

This one depends. If your garage door’s rollers have slipped the track, you may be able to do a quick DIY repair to set the rollers back in place. Check out our guide for repairing bent garage door tracks for more on that. 

When In Doubt, Play it Safe and Call a Technician

But if your garage door is severely crooked, has torqued, dropped, or caused some other precarious situation, it’s better to give us a call. Does anyone look forward to a garage door repair bill? No. Does failing to fix problems at the start lead to way worse problems and much higher repair costs? Yes. 

It’s safer for you and your wallet to defer to the garage door professionals at SACS if you’re unsure what to do about your broken garage door. We feature 24/7 emergency service, so we’re always just a phone call away for homeowners and businesses across Greater Sacramento, including Rocklin and Citrus Heights.