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A garage door could come off its tracks and hit the ground for a number of reasons, calling for an emergency garage door repair. When garage doors come off their tracks, they can be dangerous and can cause serious injuries. By understanding all the probable reasons behind the problem, property owners can stay vigilant and nip any potential problems in the bud. Continuing on the subject, in this blog post we discuss three common reasons why a garage door may go off track.
1. Intense Impact
This usually happens when a person is in a hurry and pulls out of their garage or drives in too fast before the door is completely open. When a vehicle hits a garage door, it not only damages the door’s lower sections but also shakes up the entire door system. The vehicle doesn’t have to be moving fast to cause damage. In such a situation, a couple of rollers come off their tracks, leaving the garage door hanging precariously from its lift cables. Call a garage door specialist to put everything back to order. Do not attempt to repair it yourself, as it can make things worse.
2. Broken Lift Cable
Although a rare occurrence, this problem could happen, especially in old garage doors that haven’t been used in a while. You can find the lift cables on each side of the door. Each cable winds around a drum that is attached to a steel shaft. If for any reason, the alignment of the door is disturbed, the cable won’t line up in the drum as it is supposed to, and may break without warning. When a lift cable breaks, the weight of the door transfers to one side. So, one side of the door closes completely while the other side remains partially open. Routine inspections of garage door cables are essential to prevent the situation.
3. Misaligned Tracks
Misaligned tracks are another common cause for a garage door going off track. This usually happens when the bolts holding the horizontal tracks get loose, causing the bracket to wobble at the slightest unnatural vibrations of the door. With misaligned tracks, the risk of the rollers coming off the tracks gets much higher. When horizontal tracks are not made from a strong material, a slight impact to the door can bend the tracks and cause the door to fall. That’s why it is important to go for high-quality horizontal tracks. Ideally, tracks should be made from 14-gauge steel and reinforced with L-shaped angle iron to prevent bending.
If your garage door has been showing signs of malfunction, don’t delay seeking professional help. Whether the need of the hour is garage door opener repair or spring replacement, the experts at OGD® Overhead Garage Door can help. We are one of the most trusted garage door repair and installation companies in Fort Worth, Texas, serving both residential and commercial clients with a broad spectrum of products and services. To schedule a service request, call 800-471-4505 or send a message by filling out our contact form.