Seeing the rollers or wheels on your garage door jump out of their track can be a shock. However, don’t worry; take action instead. Most issues that make the rollers go off-track aren’t that complicated. They do require the attention of an experienced technician. But a professional can fix your garage door, and it can once again work like new.
Why Your Garage Door Won’t Stay in Its Track
Several causes can be behind a garage door that keeps coming out of its track. Among the more visible are accidents that affect the track and debris that lands in the track. Anything that falls into the track, like old leaves or dead bugs, can interfere with the operation of rollers. Maybe you moved something in the garage and hit the track without knowing. That can create small dents.
Doors can also go off-track when parts start to wear out. Old, deteriorating rollers can wobble and roll out of the track. Or screws holding the tracks in the wall can start to come loose. It’s also possible that an incorrect door installation contributed to wear and tear. The cause can also be a combination of factors. For example, your car door hit the garage door when the track was already starting to come loose.
Sometimes the damage is really hard to see. For example, if your house has settled, that can throw off track alignment. It wouldn’t be off by a lot, and you might not see anything wrong at first. But the misalignment could be just enough to make it easier for the rollers to jump out of the track.
Don’t Ignore This
Before we continue, a word of warning. Some people pop the roller back into the track and keep using the door. They figure that the problem can’t be that bad if they can set the door back on track. They simply get used to the door being quirky. When the roller pops back out the next time, they pop it back in, and so on. And this keeps going on until the door no longer works at all.
Don’t assume that because you can physically put the roller back in the track, everything is fine. If a roller keeps popping out, something is wrong with the door or track. You have to find out what it is. Whatever made one roller jump the track can make other rollers jump out. That only leads to an inoperable door that may fall on someone or something. And if the door falls, it can pull on the springs. That can make the springs break and fly out, possibly toward you.
The First Thing to Do
The first thing you need to do is disconnect any automatic opener mechanism. You have to switch the door’s operation to manual only so that you have better control. If you can’t look at the door right then, notify other household members that they shouldn’t reconnect the automatic opener. Tell them to avoid using the door at all and park outside instead.
Take Video if Possible
Make a video of the door in operation. Ensure that you record the door going off-track. If possible, set up the camera (or your phone) in a stationary spot. Moving the camera around as the door moves will just make the video look messy. You can even film multiple videos from different angles. All of those will help you and a technician figure out what’s wrong.
The video lets you zero in on the exact spot on the track where the rollers jump out. It also serves as a record for any repair people you contact. If you speak with them over the phone, you can arrange to send them a copy of the video. That way, they will have a better idea of what they’re dealing with when they come out to your home.
What to Inspect
So, the door’s disconnected, and you’ve captured the problem on tape. Pay close attention to where the rollers pop out of the tracks, and mark the spot for each roller. Look at the tracks themselves to see if there are dents near those spots, or if the whole track seems loose or misaligned. Check for debris in the track, too. If you can’t see inside the track from where you’re standing, use a mirror. Don’t reach into spaces you can’t see.
Look at the rollers that keep popping out, too. Are they chipped, worn or cracked? Do they look dirty compared to the other rollers? Take pictures of the rollers that pop out as well as at least one roller that’s functioning normally. Finally, if everything else looks normal, look at the door assembly as a whole. The off-track rollers may be a symptom of something affecting the door itself.
Can You Fix This Yourself?
It’s always best to have a garage door service technician inspect and repair the door. Garage doors are heavy, and if you make the wrong move, the door could fall. The springs could also break, which is very dangerous, or you could damage another part of the opener. While do-it-yourself instructions exist for just about everything, you need to keep safety and experience in mind.
That said, there are a couple of issues that you could likely take care of on your own. You should be able to remove loose debris, such as leaves, from the track that’s affecting the rollers. It’s also possible to fix very small dents in the track with a rubber mallet. However, do this only if you know for sure that the dent is the only problem. If anything else seems off, such as a misaligned track, don’t touch it. Call a garage door service company for help.
Caution Regarding Lubricant
If the rollers aren’t moving smoothly along the track, don’t throw grease or a random lubricant on them. Garage door tracks need lubricant that’s made specifically for them, and that lubricant needs correct application to work. It’s better and safer to leave work like this to a qualified garage door technician. That’s really the case even if the task seems easy. There are too many pitfalls that can trap you if you’re not familiar with how garage doors and tracks work.
Fix That Garage Door Properly
Halls Garage Doors helps homeowners in Christiansburg, VA, the New River Valley, the Roanoke Valley and the surrounding area. When your garage door needs work, count on us for prompt, professional evaluations, repairs and replacements.
Call Halls Garage Doors now to arrange for an appointment!
