When garage doors go wrong

For peace of mind and fast, easy manoeuvres you need to oil your garage doors, in a manner of speaking. If not, neglecting the maintenance needed on garage doors may just spoil your day. It’s not too complicated. And if garage door maintenance is not on your top-five list of doables, each town luckily has a local repairman.



One needs to pay attention to the following: Broken springs, faulty sensors, misaligned tracks, malfunctioning openers, and worn rollers. Even before anything goes wrong, one needs to listen to the opening and closing sounds – snap, crackle and pop are a sure indication that trouble is looming.

A loud banging sound, difficulty opening or closing, or the door sagging to one side means a spring has broken which needs to be replaced immediately, as it's a safety hazard. Best to call a professional, due to the dangerous nature of the springs.

Other noises such as creaking, squeaking, rattling, or grinding could be caused by many issues, including worn parts, lack of lubrication, or loose hardware. Lubrication on the moving parts such as hinges, rollers, and tracks is called for. Also tighten loose hardware and replace any worn parts.

Understanding electric doors and how they operate helps us to know which aspects may need attention. The drive unit is that big box fixed to the ceiling of the garage. Inside is a motor that powers the whole opener. Homeowners typically have remotes that turn the motor inside the drive unit on. When push comes to shove, there should be a manual way that lets you enter or exit your garage if something ever goes wrong with your opener.

To prevent a closing garage door from squashing someone or something by mistake, there are sensors. These miracles of modern living alert us to problems before they become problems with a capital P. Thankfully inventors pre-empted possible entrapment and sensor devices became law in America by 1993, with Southern Africa following somewhat later. The closing door can thus be reversed if an object is detected in its path.

Advice for Namibian homeowners is to service your garage door at least once a year if you live in the interior, and once every six months if you live at the coast. “We find in the marketplace that houseowners are very negligent in terms of regular garage door services,” says Julian Baard, owner of Door Tec in Windhoek. He emphasises that all fittings should be fixed properly and the tension of springs should be in sequence.

Baard adds that rainwater need not make garage doors swell if there is a proper rubber weather seal strip at the bottom. Sanding down wooden garage doors and varnishing them again properly will also help protect against water damage. Electrical harm may occur to the PC board of the motor if the electricity supply spikes or when lightning strikes.

Prevention is the best cure, as they say in the classics, and adding the garage technician to your contact list would be wise.