Garage doors, despite their everyday ubiquity, are actually complicated pieces of machinery (though you may not realize it from the expertise and efficient services provided by the licensed garage door experts here at Garage Door Repair Chicago.) In this blog entry, some of our expert garage door repair technicians will detail some important information about the moving parts and mechanics of garage door construction.
Garage Door Construction
In order for garage doors to properly fold up against themselves and lay flat against the ceiling, it needs to have functional section joints. These panels unfold into a tight seal when the door is closed, but fold up against themselves when the door is opened. The opening and shutting motion should be a smooth transition, with zero sticking, ratcheting, grinding, or bumping. Any strange motion or movement during the door’s opening or closing indicates issues with the section joints or motor.
Garage Door Track Systems
The track system helps your garage door lift up. Track systems should always be straight, with zero twists, and constructed sturdily. Track systems consist of a pair of brackets on the lower corners of the garage door – these brackets hold the rollers, which in turn are attached to cables. This allows the door to smoothly slide down and up. Brackets should be firmly attached with stability, never wiggling, and allow the garage rollers to slide easily and freely. At the top of the garage door track system there is a cable drum which winds up the cables as the door opens. Garage door cables should NEVER, EVER look split, torn, or frayed – this indicates a serious and potentially dangerous safety risk. The garage door cable drum is attached, usually, to a torsion spring, which is itself attached above the garage door. In small garages, instead of a torsion spring, there will be extension springs above the hanger track. The hanger track is secured to the wall and moves back from the ceiling reaching the back hanger track – this allows the rollers to move the garage door up and down with stability. Like the whole of the track system, the rear hanger track should always be straight, with zero bending or bowing. The rear hanger track should be firmly attached to the ceiling of the garage in order for it to be able to stop the door from moving. Any looseness indicates a safety risk that must be addressed by a professional, like the expert technicians here at Garage Door Repair Chicago.
