What is garage door balance?

A lot of homeowners probably don’t give their garage door much thought. It’s often seen as a reliable fixture of the home that works as and when you need it. But garage doors shouldn’t just be ignored. They need proper care and maintenance in order to keep them in good working condition.

One thing that should be kept in mind is your garage door’s balance. Read on to find out more about this and how to keep it in check.

What is garage door balance?

Your garage door needs to be properly balanced in order to open and close smoothly without causing any strain on the various parts of the garage door. When a garage door is balanced, it means that the weight of the door and from the force of lifting and lowering the door is evenly spread across the garage door spring or springs. An unbalanced door, if left that way, could cause the garage door spring to snap as well as affecting other parts.

Signs your garage door might be unbalanced

If you notice that your garage door starts opening more slowly, less smoothly, or that it makes more noise when opening and closing, then it could be a sign of an unbalanced door. You may also notice that your garage door opens slower on one side than the other or that it stops opening or closing completely.

How to check your garage door balance

To check your garage door balance, you should disconnect the door from the opener while it is closed. You should then manually open the door and observe whether you can move it easily and smoothly. Check also that the door remains straight when moving up and down, rather than sloping to one side.

Then, open your garage door part way and, ensuring you and any other people or obstacles are carefully out of the way, let go of the door to leave it open. The door should remain open and should be level if it is properly balanced.

What to do if your door isn’t balanced

Balancing a garage door requires adjusting the springs, which could be torsion springs or extension springs. This can be extremely dangerous if you are not experienced with this kind of garage door repair, so we would always recommend that you call a professional when garage door springs are involved.

If your garage door needs balancing or you require other types of repair or maintenance, then contact Carolina Garage Door for our professional home and commercial services around Winston Salem, Greensboro, Kernersville, and High Point, NC.