1) The door itself ( Alu-Zink / Wooden Panels )

2) The garage door hardware

3) The automation / motor for your Garage Door

In this section, we'll help you look, repair or prevent garage door problems.

Garage doors operate on spring tension or torsion. The door moves on metal tracks on the garage walls, and a heavy spring or springs provide the power. In most cases when the door doesn't work well, the springs are the cause, the springs are the most important and most dangerous component, it is always best to have a qualified DoorTronix technician repair, set or replace them for you.

Check the metal tracks inside the garage. Look at the mounting brackets that hold the tracks to the walls. If they're loose, tighten them. Working inside the garage with the garage door closed, examine the tracks for dents, crimps, or flat spots. If there are any damaged spots, pound them out with a rubber mallet, or with a hammer and a block of scrap wood. If the tracks are badly damaged, they should be replaced.

Check the tracks with a level to make sure they're properly aligned. Horizontal tracks should slant slightly down toward the back of the garage; the vertical sections of the track should be exactly plumb. Both tracks must be at the same height on the garage walls. If the tracks are not properly aligned, loosen but do not remove the screws or bolts that hold the mounting brackets, and tap the tracks carefully into position. Recheck the tracks with the level to make sure they're in the right position; then tighten the screws or bolts at the mounting brackets.

Caution!!: DO NOT TRY THIS WITH A SINGLE GARAGE DOOR. THE SPRINGS TENSION ARE GREAT

 Clean the tracks with a concentrated household cleaner to remove dirt and hardened grease. Clean the rollers thoroughly, and wipe both tracks and rollers dry. Do not leave any soup inside the wheels or tracks, the soups are sticky and tend to collect dust and rust the bearings or metal parts

Lubricate both the tracks and the rollers using garage door lubricant spray or powdered graphite on the tracks, and household oil or silicone spray on the rollers. If there are any pulleys, lubricate them with the same lubricant you used on the rollers.

 Check for loose hardware, and tighten as needed. On swing-up doors, check the plates where the spring is mounted to be sure the screws are tight and tighten any loose screws. On roll-up doors, check the hinges that hold the sections of the door together; tighten any loose screws, and replace any damaged hinges. Sagging at one side of the door can often be corrected by servicing the hinges. If a screw hole is enlarged, replace the screw with a longer one of the same diameter, and use a hollow fibre plug, dipped in carpenters' glue, with the new screw. If the wood is cracked at a hinge, remove the hinge and fill the cracks and the screw holes with wood filler. Let the filler dry and then replace the hinge. If possible, move the hinge onto solid wood

Check the springs. On swing-up doors, the spring on each side is hooked into holes or notches. To adjust the tension, move the spring hook to the next hole or notch. On roll-up doors, the spring on each side is controlled by a spring cable on a pulley. To adjust the tension of this type of spring, pull the cable farther through the plate above the door, and reknot the end to maintain the tension. Caution: Do not try to repair a Spring or replace it. The tension is so great that the spring could injure you. 

 

Many of us actually don't think or actually realize the hard work our Garage Door/s do.

Lifting and closing a large door every day, a couple of times a day over and over again. Your garage door Motor really doesn't do much work. Its is just a helper to the real worker. The spring!

Springs are used as the door is lowered down. The springs are stretched out and when it is time for the door lift it's actually the spring that is doing all the work

For this reason , most garage door Motors are only rated at 750 - 1000 Newton units of power which is , in fact , more than enough to help the springs do their job. It doesn't take much power to lift up a garage door that is being pulled up by a spring that is under extreme tension or torsion. 

How do garage doors work?

There are only two types of garage doors - The Garage Doors that operate by tension springs which in most cases are Single sectional garage doors or Double Tip up springs, and those that operate by torsion springs which in most cases are double sectional or caravan single sectional. However, some company to use the torsion system for standard single garage doors.

Tension springs look like normal springs and are located on the left and right sides of the garage door above the horizontal tracks. As the garage door will lower/close you will see them stretch out and expand, and contract as the garage door opens.

Torsion springs are the second type of garage springs - they look like tightly coiled springs above the garage door, and as the door lowers or raises, they twist to contract or expand.

Most garage door fails due to but is not limited to ether 3 reasons.

(1) A broken Spring

(2) Lack of maintenance

(3) A broken / faulty motor

Broken springs can be difficult to replace and should not be attempted if you do not have the proper skills and tools because it requires you to remove and replace high tension springs under significant compression.
 

Replacing torsion springs on a broken garage door

Torsion and tension springs require professional replacement. Torsion springs are designed to last for about 10,000 cycles or about 8 -10 years of normal use. After that, you are just waiting for an accident to happen. When a torsion spring breaks, you will often hear a loud cracking or pinging sound, but you may not notice it at all

You may simply notice that your garage door opens and closed much more slowly than before (assuming it is a double garage door with 2 springs - if it is a single door with one spring, the door will not open or close at all

Anyone asking R4000.00 or more is ripping you off. When replacing torsion springs, you do have to replace both springs if you have a double garage door, or a single spring if you have a single door.

Garage Door Maintenance

One way to avoid costly garage door repairs is by regular maintenance. A garage door is a moving mechanical system, the largest moving system in your home. Therefore it requires professional attention and maintenance. over time your garage door can easily get out of alignment.

Garage Door Won't Open

Sometimes when your garage door won't open, it is an even simpler explanation. You may need to reprogram your remote or replace the battery. Your electric garage opener is tuned to the specific frequency and code of your remote opener - if the code or battery is messed up, the fix could be as simple as an R50.00 battery. Start with the battery when you do your diagnostic work and proceed from there -- you will need to inspect the springs if you suspect it is a larger problem, but this is a simple 2-minute task. Broken springs will be obvious, and the most telltale sign is limited power and speed in opening and closing the garage door. If the motor does not respond at all after replacing the remote battery and trying the manual switch, it is most likely a problem with the actual garage door opener motor unit, which might require replacement R2500.00 - R3500.00