Operating with a garage door that is out of alignment is a risk not worth taking. For starters, you might get locked in or out of your garage if the door is jammed tight. In worse cases, the out-of-balance door could snap from the tracks and injure persons standing nearby. Out of place garage doors are also a security risk. Since the door can’t lock correctly, it makes your whole house vulnerable to burglary. The only solution to all these risk scenarios would be to adjust the garage door tracks as soon as the problem arises. This article will go over how to adjust garage door tracks so that you can use a regularly operating garage door.
What Causes Misalignment in Garage Doors?
There could be many reasons why your garage doors tracks are out of place. The most common problem is old doors or worn out rubber moldings. It could be that the garage door has become loose due to regular use. No matter what the cause of the problem is, below is a step by step guide to get your garage door back on track.
Binding Garage Doors - Know How to Fix Any Issue
1. Loosen the Track Screws
A garage door is considered binding if it is hard to move up or down. The reason for that could be that the screws are too tight so your best move would be to loosen them. Open the garage to access the bolts on the track brackets. Loosen the bolts that secure the track brackets to the track brackets using a screwdriver.
2. Adjust the Tracks
The garage door track connects to the door frames via metal clips. The tracks are a guideway for garage door rollers. To adjust the garage door track, you will need to set it in correct alignment with the rollers.
The metal clips in the garage door tracks allow for adjustment from side to side. Usually, Metro Garage Door states that a binding garage door happens as a result of the tracks being too close to the door. Tap the lower end of the tracks with a rubber mallet to set it in proper alignment.
3. Tighten the Track Screws
After you have aligned the tracks in position, the next step is tightening the track screws so that the track doesn’t fall out of place again. Repeat the whole process for the different garage door tracks.
Rubbing/ Gaping Garage Door
There are countless reasons for a garage door that rubs against the molding. Fix the problem using the below steps:
1. Loosen the Track Bolts
Loosen the bolts that secure the tracks to the brackets.
2. Reset the Door Gap
Adjust the tracks to the left or right, so there is no gap between the door and the rubber molding. Aim to have half an inch and no more than three-quarter inches between the door and the track. Repeat the process with the tracks on the opposite side of the door.
3. Tighten the Bolts
Now that you have reset the tracks tighten the bolts, so the tracks don’t move position.
To adjust a garage door that binds, loosen the screws on the track, change the track position and tighten the screws back in place. To adjust a garage door that rubs against the molding, loosen the track bolts, adjust the gap between the tracks and the door and tighten the screws back in place.
Bottom Line
Operating a garage door that isn’t working correctly comes with many risks. Typically, issues with garage door functionality have to do with the garage door tracks. Don’t know how to adjust garage door tracks? Follow the simple steps in this guide to know how to adjust these tracks in different situations.
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