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Your home garage can be a versatile area for parking your car or storing items. To fully benefit from this space, it’s important to ensure your garage door operates as it should.
Over time and with regular use, garage doors can become unbalanced from their tracks. Even if subtle, this imbalance can lead to much larger issues and be a potential safety hazard.
“An imbalanced garage door can suddenly slam shut or be difficult to open, posing a risk of injury or property damage.”
What is Garage Door Balancing?
In simple terms, garage door balancing refers to ensuring that your garage door can be easily opened or closed manually or by an automatic garage door opener. A balanced garage door should also be able to stay in place when left halfway open.
Balancing a garage door removes undue strain on the opener and the springs. Achieving this balance involves fine-tuning the springs’ tension to ensure they can efficiently offset the door’s weight, allowing for smoother operation.
A well-balanced garage door is not only easier to operate but also safer. An imbalanced garage door can suddenly slam shut or be challenging to open, posing a risk of injury or property damage.
Why Do Garage Doors Need Balancing?
Balancing your garage door is important for several reasons.
An unbalanced garage door can close unexpectedly and potentially cause injury or damage to your vehicle. It can also put unnecessary strain on the door’s mechanism.
Over time, this can lead to premature wear and tear, causing these components to fail earlier. This results in costly repairs and could leave you with a garage door that doesn’t open or close when needed.
A well-balanced garage door also operates more efficiently. It opens and closes smoothly and quietly, reducing noise and vibration. This can be particularly important if your garage is attached to your home, and noise could disturb people inside.
Some people may not realize that many warranties for garage door openers require the door to be properly balanced. If you ignore this maintenance aspect, you may void your warranty, leaving you to foot the bill for any necessary repairs or replacements.
How to Balance a Garage Door
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Balancing a garage door involves adjusting the tension in the springs to ensure they effectively counterbalance the weight of the door. This is typically done through the following steps:
- Disconnect the Garage Door Opener: The first step is disconnecting the automatic opener. This is usually achieved by pulling a cord or lever, allowing for manual door operation.
- Test the Door’s Balance: To assess the balance of the door, it should be lifted halfway and then released. A well-balanced door remains in place. If it falls, the springs are too loose. If it shoots up, the springs are too tight.
- Adjust the Springs: When dealing with an imbalanced garage door, it’s important to check the springs. This process generally includes loosening the springs’ set screws, adjusting the spring tension by winding or unwinding, and then securely retightening the screws. It’s important to recognize this task’s complexity and potential danger, as the springs are under significant tension. Incorrect handling could lead to personal injury.
- Recheck the Door’s Balance: After adjusting the springs, the door’s balance should be tested again. The adjustment process may need to be repeated until the door remains stationary when left halfway open.
- Reconnect the Garage Door Opener: The automatic opener can be reconnected once the door is balanced.
While these steps may seem straightforward, it’s important to note that balancing a garage door can be a dangerous task if not performed properly. The springs are under high tension, and a slip or error can result in serious injury.
Different types of garage doors have different types of springs (torsion springs or extension springs), which require other adjustment methods. Misjudging the type of spring or using the wrong technique can also lead to damage.
This is why it’s often better to trust professionals to handle this type of job. Professional garage door technicians have the knowledge and experience to balance your door safely and effectively. They can also inspect the door for other potential issues, ensuring your entire garage door system works smoothly and safely.
Get More Life Out of Your Garage Door
Ensuring that your garage door remains in good condition involves regular maintenance. Routine cleaning and lubrication of the moving parts are important when mitigating wear and tear. Also, regularly checking for any visible damage or operational issues can lead to much quicker and less expensive fixes. However, hiring a professional service for regular tune-ups and inspections can help significantly prolong the life of your garage door.
With over 15 years of expertise, our team at Austin’s Greater Garage Doors specializes in both routine and complex services, including garage door balancing, torsion and extension spring adjustments, and complete garage door replacement.
If you’re in the Austin, TX area, feel free to contact us for a free estimate. We’re confident that our team can provide you with the highest quality garage door maintenance and repair services to keep your door functioning smoothly and safely for years to come.