Your overhead garage door is a complicated piece of machinery that is supported by a number of moving parts and systems, which means that there is always the possibility that something breaks or functions improperly over time. Understanding what a few of the most common problems that your garage door may experience are can help you identify them if they occur, which can speed up the repair process.

Damaged Track System

One of the most common parts of your garage door system that will suffer from issues is the tracks that the door moves along or the wheels that are within the tracks themselves. This is because these tracks and wheels support the entire weight of the door, and as such, are placed under a fairly large amount of stress each day. The first sign of trouble will manifest itself in noisy operation, with the tracks emitting a constant grinding sound of metal on metal, which points to the tracks or wheels bending out of position from each other. At the far end of the spectrum, as the problem is allowed to progress, your garage door may stop opening all together, despite the motor in the opener still engaging.

Cable Damage

The cables attach the door to the opener, and like the tracks, play a large role in supporting the weight of the garage door itself. Since they are constantly under a similar amount of stress, they can break down over time. However, cables will not make any noise that indicates that they are beginning to fail. You'll have to inspect the state of your cables visually at regular intervals to see if there are signs of fraying or damage and get in touch with a contractor straight away. A snapped cable can send the garage door slamming shut without warning, which is obviously a serious safety concern.

Constant Irregular Operation

You may find that your garage door opens and closes seemingly at random or will continue to operate immediately after you close it. This can point to an issue with the motor's wiring or the remote, which will usually require a replacement, but most commonly will indicate that the photo eyes that act as the safety shut off for your garage door are out of alignment. Since they can't see each other, they will tell the opener to continue to open the door, or to stop moving it, in order to avoid crushing what they believe to be an obstruction. Having the eyes realigned can restore the proper function of your garage door.

For more information, reach out to a professional overhead door company near you.