FAQ

Is Your Spring Broken?  Or other common garage door problems!

Garage Door Issues

New Door Sales/Installation
Broken Spring replacement
Install Window Sections
Section replacement
Squeaky/Noisy doors
Door won’t close
Door won’t open
Worn or Broken Cables
Worn or Bent Rollers
Broken Hinges
Bent track
And more…

Garage Door Opener Issues

New Opener Sales/Installation
Door won’t close
Door won’t open
Opener lights just blink
Photo Safety Sensors
Noisy Openers
Remote Controls
Worn out Gears
Logic Boards
Loose or hanging chains
Grinding Noises
Wires Hanging
And more…

Don’t see your specific problem listed? Contact Next Door, Inc. to help you solve your problem.

A warning for you do-it-yourselfers! Any spring mechanism is under extreme tension, is hazardous and can cause serious injury. Repairs and adjustments to any spring system should be performed only by a qualified door technician.

If your garage door won’t open…

Disconnect the door from your opener and try to lift it manually. (There is usually a red handle hanging from a  string connected to your door – this is your emergency disconnect.) If you can’t lift the door, you probably have a broken spring. Look at the coil (torsion spring) on the shaft above the door, or along either side of the overhead tracks. If you see an opening or break in the coil, or have a spring hanging down on one side of your garage door track, you have a broken spring. We do not recommend that you open your door if your spring is broken!  This may cause injury to you or others nearby, and can cause damage to your garage door opener, car, or the garage door itself. If your spring is not broken and you are able to lift your door manually without significant effort, the problem may be with your garage door opener.

If your garage door opener will not open your door…

If you can open and close your door manually, but not with the opener, try pressing the wall button for your opener. Do you hear a motor running but don’t see the belt, chain or screw-drive moving? You may have a worn or damaged gear-and-sprocket assembly, or a worn screw-drive carriage. Look at the brand name of the opener (it is usually printed on the side of the opener motor case) and call us for an estimate and to schedule an appointment.

If your garage door won’t close…

If you can open and close your door manually, but not with the opener, try pressing and holding the wall button down. If the door closes while you hold the button, your photo eyes are probably out of alignment, blocked, broken, or not connected (likely due to a broken wire). Photo eyes look like little cameras mounted at the base of the garage door tracks on both sides, and they must be pointing directly at each other. (All garage door openers built after 1993 require photo eyes to close.) Try to clean them and align, and save yourself the cost of a service call! If it still won’t work or works intermittently, call us for an estimate and to schedule an appointment.

If your garage door is off track or crooked in the opening…

Don’t touch it! Garage doors are very heavy, and you could injure yourself, someone else, or you could make it worse. Unplug the opener so no one tries to use it, and call us for an appointment. Be sure to mention the problem.  We can usually get to you the same day you call.

 

Garage Door Maintenance

Manually operate the door. If it is unbalanced or binding, we really recommend that you call for service, as door balance issues cause unnecessary wear and tear on your door parts and garage door opener. Postponing service calls will usually lead to more significant and more costly problems later.

Check to be sure the door opens and closes fully. Adjustments to the garage door opener travel limit and/or force settings may be necessary.

Perform the safety reverse test.

Annually oil the springs, tracks, steel door rollers, bearings and hinges (unless you have nylon rollers, do not oil or lube these!). The opener does not require additional lubrication unless you notice rust, at which point we would again recommend calling to schedule a service call.  We also kindly ask that you do not fill your track with heavy greases, such as bearing grease or red grease, as this will just attract dirt and make a huge mess (our technicians will thank you!).

Call or E-mail and ask us about Annual Maintenance Checkups.  We can do all of the above for you!