Garage door noises are oftentimes an indication that the tracks are bent. As you likely know, if this was the only problem, nobody would panic and stress over bent garage door tracks. Right? It would only take a phone call to the nearest garage door repair technician to come and fix the tracks.
Bent garage door tracks bring along more problems
The problem is that when garage door tracks bend, they create new problems. Loud noise is just one of the problems you may face. If the track damage is quite serious, the garage door may also get jammed. It will be stuck and won’t move.
Now, let us pause here to say this: there are tracks on both sides of the garage door. And for a standard overhead door, there are vertical, horizontal, and curved track sections on both sides. It makes sense to say that not all such sections get bent at the same time. Consequently, the garage door may not only get stuck but also sag to the side or get distorted in some way, leaving room for extra damage. Hence, it’s clear that such problems with the garage door tracks are particularly serious and must be fixed at once.
Of course, the question remains: what causes the garage door tracks to bend? Let’s go through the most common reasons. Shall we?
Garage door cable problems
Garage door cables hold the door’s weight. It’s fair to say that should there be a problem with one of the two cables, the weight of the door will be distributed to only one side and this will put an extra burden on the tracks. Due to the garage door’s heavyweight, track damage is nearly always unavoidable.
Improper garage door balance
In the same context, any other problem that will bring the garage door out of its proper balance will affect the tracks’ condition. The balance mainly depends on the garage door springs. If they wear, start sagging, get rusty, break, or become loose, the garage door will not be balanced. Once again, the tracks on one side will get strained from the door’s extra burden and will likely bend.
Poor garage door rollers lubrication
The garage door rollers glide on the tracks. To do that without making noises and without causing damage due to friction, the rollers are lubricated. And they must remain lubricated. The lubricants become the protective layer between the garage door tracks and the rollers. Without this protective layer, there’ll be friction and gradually the tracks will get damaged.
Heavy impact
Any heavy object bumping into the tracks will cause damage. That could be a car, furniture, the lawnmower, et cetera. Heavy impact is actually one of the easiest ways for tracks to bend. All it takes is a minute if the impact is forceful.
Garage door track wear
Don’t forget that the garage door tracks wear over time, like any other component. Debris that accumulates in the tracks and is not regularly cleaned may also take a toll on the condition of the tracks. Wear may bring rust too. And when the tracks are not in good shape, they can easier bend.
How to repair bent garage door tracks?
Let’s make this simple: don’t attempt to fix the bent garage door track on your own. Why? Because chances are high you will make things worse. The tracks are made of durable steel and so they are not easy to re-bend. It’s particularly hard to bring them to their initial shape and make sure they are aligned correctly and the rollers glide as they should.
Prefer to find a garage door track repair tech than give it a try. Why do we insist so much? Because if the tracks are not fixed correctly, you will still hear the noises and may face all other problems that often occur due to the bent tracks. Also, when it comes to adjusting the tracks, you need to measure with accuracy. If not or if something is not calculated correctly, the garage door may fall. Last but not least, if the track damage is truly extensive and the problem cannot be solved, you may need new tracks. It’s always best to leave all such things to pros whose job is to fix and replace tracks.
