Posted on: September 11, 2017
A garage door includes springs that make it simple and easy to raise and lower it. Your garage door must be perfectly balanced so it can stay open when it needs to and shut safely and gently when the situation calls for it. Balance is essential to your garage door’s proper and safe functionality. But garage doors can sometimes fall out of balance, which can create a situation that’s harmful to your door and that can create a threat to safety.
Wondering how to check your garage door’s balance? This video will give you a brief rundown of how to check and what to look for.
Start by Disconnecting Your Opener
Before checking your garage door’s balance, you must disconnect the automatic opener. Start by fully closing your garage door. To disconnect, pull down the red handle and drag it back toward the opener.
Testing the Balance
Once your garage door is fully disengaged from the automatic opener, it’s time to test out its balance. Start by lifting the door to its halfway or midpoint and then letting it go. Your door should stay at the halfway or midpoint due to balanced support from its springs. Next, lift the door to the fully-open position and let go. Once you let go, the door should rise slightly.
Warning Signs
If your door slams closed or even drifts toward closing during either test, it’s possible you have a balance issue. Test your door by raising and lowering it while also looking for any binding or sticking. The door should move freely and feel light. If you notice any binding or sticking, try the balance tests again to see if the problems persist.
Once finished, it’s time to reconnect your garage door opener. Manually close the door, then pull the emergency release handle. Press the remote control or wall-mounted button and the trolley should move back into place and reconnect.
When to Call a Professional
If you’ve performed the balance tests, discovered a problem and can’t find the solution, it’s important to call in a professional. A local garage door maintenance company can quickly rebalance your garage door and get it back to full working condition again. Given that garage doors and their springs are under tremendous tension and pressure, it can be dangerous for a homeowner to try and balance a garage door on his or her own without the proper expertise and tools.
At Broten Garage Door Sales, we provide local garage door maintenance in Broward County and Palm Beach County, Florida. We can provide outstanding service as well as helpful garage door maintenance tips when you need expert assistance. Contact us today about local garage door maintenance.
