Misaligned Garage Doors: Signs and Common Causes

Garage doors are modern engineering marvels that make our lives safer and more convenient. But like all pieces of complex equipment, there's always the possibility, no matter how remote, that they're going to malfunction. In this guide, the garage door repair experts at A Better Garage Door examine one particular type of malfunction: the misaligned door. We’ll look at what causes it and provide some insight into how we deal with it.

Why It’s Important That Garage Doors Be Properly Aligned

When it comes to garage doors one thing that is understood by just about everyone but talked about by almost no one is that the average garage door weighs several hundred pounds.

Moving that kind of weight up and down on slender aluminum tracks requires a lot of energy, and that energy needs to be evenly distributed between the tracks. If it’s not one will become overwhelmed and the door will start to shimmy and shake or just jam outright.

Misaligned doors also put a lot of unwelcome stress on garage door openers. And they can damage the rollers and, if not corrected, lead to failure of the extension or torsion springs.

What Causes a Garage Door to Become Misaligned?

There are any number of things that can cause a garage door to become misaligned. Some common causes include:

• The House Settles — Unless your house is built on bedrock, there's always the chance it will settle over time. In some cases, this settlement happens more or less evenly, but in other cases, one part of the house may settle while the rest of the house remains level. If the garage settles unevenly it can cause the garage door to become misaligned.
• An Accident — Even a slight bump from the car can cause a garage door to become misaligned. Cars, after all, weigh even more than garage doors do, a LOT more. So bumping into the door with the car can create effects that ripple throughout the entire garage door mechanism. Including causing the door to become misaligned.
• Bad Weather — Garage doors are exposed to the worst aspects of every climate. That includes extremes of heat and cold, punishing winds, rain, sleet and snow, dust storms and more. As a result, there's always the possibility that some combination of natural elements will cause the door to become misaligned.
• Broken Springs — Unknown to most people garage door openers don’t actually open the garage door. All they do is get things started and then regulate the movement of the door to ensure it’s smooth. It’s the springs that provide the power to lift all that weight. Typically there are either two extension springs or two torsion springs that work to lift the door evenly. If one of them has snapped the other will not be able to adequately compensate and the door will start rising and falling unevenly.
• Worn-Out Components — Over time, hinges, rollers, and tracks may succumb to fatigue. Rust, friction, and stress weaken their resolve, causing misalignment. Imagine a weary soldier stumbling on uneven ground.
• Improper Installation — Like a poorly choreographed dance, an inadequately installed garage door waltzes out of sync. Incorrect track placement, skewed brackets, or misaligned panels typically lead to recurring issues with a garage door system.
• Frequent Use Without Maintenance — Neglect is the saboteur. Daily cycles of opening and closing strain the garage door opener system. Without lubrication, adjustment, and periodic checks, the door’s alignment falters—a gradual drift like a ship lost at sea.



Review Liftmaster's recommendations for ongoing garage door maintenance tasks in the following PDF:

• Loose or Obstructed Tracks — Picture a train derailing: loose garage door tracks cause similar chaos. Vibrations, impacts, or poor anchoring loosen the tracks, leading to misalignment. Debris, dirt, or small objects lodged in the tracks can also disrupt the door’s trajectory; a pebble wedged in the path can throw the entire ensemble off-key.

"Dirty tracks, misaligned rollers, broken springs — all cause the opener to shut down. Get to know your system and check it regularly for force of operation and automatic return. Most garage door companies suggest that you test your system every month or two months to be certain it is functioning properly." —Bob Vila, This Old House

• Uneven Floor or Foundation — A crooked stage begets a crooked performance. Uneven concrete or a sloping foundation tilts the door, creating gaps and friction. The door’s balance wavers, like a tightrope walker on shaky ground.
• Warped Panels — Wood swells with humidity, metal bends under pressure. Warped panels twist the narrative. The door’s edges no longer align, and the symphony turns discordant.

What Can Be Done About a Misaligned Garage Door?

Now that you’ve determined that your garage door is misaligned is there anything you can do about it? Fortunately, yes. But before we get into the details it’s important to emphasize that the best course of action is to call a service team like A Better Garage Door, and let the pros handle any garage door repair work. Working on or around a garage door is very risky business and it only takes one mistake to result in serious injury or worse.

Here are some of the ways a crack garage door installation team will fix a misaligned door.

Replace the Broken Spring

We can’t emphasize strongly enough that you should never attempt to repair or replace garage door springs yourself. That said, if your misaligned door is caused by a broken spring the experienced technicians from A Better Garage Door will replace the spring and have your door back to normal in no time.

Realign the Tracks

The tracks, akin to musical notes, guide the door’s movement. Professionals meticulously inspect them for damage, rust, or misalignment. They loosen mounting bolts, gently tap misaligned sections with a rubber mallet or wood block, and ensure both horizontal and vertical alignment. The door’s path becomes melodious once more.

Repair the Tracks and Rollers

If the misalignment was caused by the car or some other object hitting the track that track will either need to be realigned or replaced. If the door was being dragged up and down the track unevenly for some time there is probably damage to some of the rollers too and they will also need to be replaced.

Repair the Door Itself

In some cases, the car may strike the door panels. This can cause the tracks to become misaligned and put excessive pressure on the rollers that causes them to stick. The panel or panels that were struck may also be broken and the hinges on the door twisted into an unnatural position. Depending on the amount of damage we may be able to fix the door by replacing a few panels and realigning the tracks, or the entire door may need to be replaced.

Fix a Gap Under the Door

When a door becomes misaligned a gap can sometimes appear under the door. This is not only unsightly but will also contribute to wasted energy and create a security risk by making it easier for intruders to gain access to the garage. In cases of uneven settling, these gaps may not disappear entirely even after the door is realigned and working properly. In that case, the weatherstripping on the bottom of the door will either need to be adjusted or replaced.

Know When to Call for Professional Garage Door Services

Conclusion

As we mentioned earlier, you should never try and perform DIY repairs on your garage door. While it might seem like a common sense thing to do the weight of the door along with the amount of energy stored in the coiled-up springs make it a very dangerous device to work on. As many as 30,000 people are injured by garage doors annually, with a high percentage of those injuries occurring while people try to perform repair work themselves. Always call for professional help when you're having any type of issue with your garage door.

A Better Garage Door Company in Parker

Here at A Better Garage Door, we take great pride in the work we do and in helping our customers keep their garage doors operating at peak efficiency. If you suspect something is wrong with your garage door don’t try and fix it yourself. Call the highly trained and experienced pros at A Better Garage Door at 303-920-2267.