Top 5 Most Common Garage Door Problems in Irvine Homes - and How to Fix Them

Garage doors are an essential part of our homes in Irvine, providing security and convenient access. However, with daily use (often over 1,500 open-and-close cycles per year) wear and tear can lead to issues.

In this article, we will look at the 5 most common garage door problems for our homes in Irvine, what to look for, the possible cause, and what is recommended for a solution.

For each of the problems, we will note if it is work for you or work for the professionals. Once you have recognized the common problems, you will be able to manage the smooth running of your garage door or when to contact for garage door repair in Irvine, if needed.

1. Garage Door Spring Breakage

Signs & Symptoms: One of the most common garage door failures is a broken spring. You may hear a loud bang when a torsion spring breaks, and afterwards the garage door will be very heavy or won't move at all (the opener may hum, but nothing happens). You may notice a gap in the torsion spring above the door, or the spring may appear stretched out, or there may be a part of the spring missing. A broken spring can also cause your door to slam down and/or to be unlevel if two springs are used

Causes: Garage door springs are designed to last only so long - usually about 10,000 cycles, or approximately 7-10 years with "normal" use. All garage door springs will eventually cease to function, but the soft metals inside fatigues and will ultimately break. Irvine, with its mild weather conditions, doesn't experience extreme temperature changes, but the springs will fatigue through normal wear and tear. If regular maintenance is performed (e.g., lubrication of the spring), you can certainly avoid corrosion and minimize stress on the spring. Generally, springs will fail just after years of service, lifting the weight of the door every single day.

How to Fix: Don’t try to operate a door with a damaged spring because you risk damaging the garage door opener and the door may come crashing down. Changing a garage door spring is not a do-it-yourself task; garage door springs are under extreme tension and can cause serious injury. It is safer to hire a garage door technician to change the spring. The suggested response is to get a professional garage door technician to safely replace the spring. In fact, many professionals recommend replacing both springs if one fails because the other spring is likely at or near the end of its normal life as well.

A professional will not only use the correct type of spring but also install it correctly with the proper tension and balance. The repair should return the door to normal operational status.

Keep in mind, springs are dangerous to work with, so let the professionals handle this one.

2. Garage Door Off Track or Misaligned Tracks

Signs & Symptoms: When a garage door becomes misaligned, it will typically present itself to the owner in one of three situations. If the door is tilted, stuck or making grinding noises while in motion, the door is misaligned (or possibly off track). If you look closely while the door is not moving you may even see gaps between the rollers and the guides and maybe one side of the door is noticeably lower than the other side of the door. If the problem is severe enough, the door may not move because the roller has popped out of the track. Misaligned (or bent) tracks can also cause a door to bind (or squeal) while in operation. In essence, the door is not making smooth contact and gliding on its tracks.

Causes: If the tracks get misaligned, it can happen in a couple of different ways. It can happen due to impact or slowly over time if the mounting bracket loosens. For instance, if a car hits the garage opening, it can bend the metal tracks. Normal vibrations can loosen the brackets that hold the tracks to the wall over a time. The other factor that can throw the door off balance is if a cable snaps or roller breaks causing the door to be misaligned and off track. Dirt and debris accumulation in the tracks can also cause rollers to slip or break, or just jam. In home in the city of Irvine, there is heavy consistent use of garage doors so if no regular inspections (for example, every 6 months) are conducted, over time the hardware can loosen and cause misalignment issues.

How to fix: Depending on the severity of the misalignment, it may be possible to adjust a minor track misalignment as a "do-it-yourself" project- and if you feel skilled enough you can remove the opener and adjust your track. Let's say you have a slightly bent track - you may, very carefully, be able to use a rubber mallet to "tap" the bent track back into alignment. Also, be sure to tighten any bracket bolts if you have not already. However, if your door has a lot of damage or is completely off its track you will need the help of professionals. You want to avoid forcing the door if it is jammed or stuck; if you push or pull hard enough the entire door could fall off. If you contact a trained technician, they will be able to either straighten or replace your bent tracks and reset your door effectively. A technician also will mechanically inspect the related components quite closely (including cables, rollers, hinges) to ensure they all ended up being aligned properly. Being off track is a very serious safety hazard (the door can fall), so a lot of the time it is best to allow professionals who are trained to inspect and repair this issue.

To recap: adjustment may be a DIY option for slight adjustments or repairs, but if your door is significantly out of alignment, call an expert.

3. Malfunctioning Garage Door Sensors

Signs & Symptoms: Today's garage doors are usually equipped with safety photo-eye sensors somewhere near the floor. Typically, if these sensors misaligned or stop working, the door will not close. A common situation might be: you press the remote, and the door starts to close, but as soon as it is in a close position, it reverses to the open position. You may also notice the garage door opener's light blinking, which also implies sensors. In some instances, the only way for the door to close, is to hold down the wall button - disabling the safety sensor. These are common indicators that the sensors are not seeing each other. If a sensor is fully failed, the door may not even respond to close.

Causes: The most common issue is misalignment or obstruction. If one of the sensors has been moved (even slightly), the infrared beam will not connect to the other side. Dirt, dust, or spider webs on the sensor lenses can block the infrared beam from working. In dry Irvine conditions, the sensors often accumulate dust, so cleaning them may be all that is required. Sunlight interference may also be a cause: there are times of day when the sun is directly hitting the sensor, activating it. Sensor shields or angling the sensors may mitigate the interference. Wiring issues or a defective sensor unit can lead to sensor malfunction as well, but this would be less common. If the sensors are aligned (most often indicated by a steady green light on one side) and the problem persists, there may be electrical issues involved.

How to fix: Unlike most problems, sensors are probably the simplest problem for the everyday person to take care of. First check for obstructions. Your sensor can trip even if something visually small or debris is in the path of your sensor. Gently clean the sensor lens using a soft cloth. Realigning sensors would necessitate checking to see if the sensors were bumped. You should see both the sensor lights lit up (one of the sensors usually gives green when they are aligned). Loosen the wing nut on the bracket to realign. Adjust the sensor until you see the light on the receiving unit is solid. Tighten down the wing nut. This technique solves the majority of closing issues you may have. Also, the sensors should be 6 inches off the ground and completely facing each other. If you do not see either one of the above errors, and you do not have objects in the path, the possible problem would pertain to the sensor wiring or sensors (although this misalignment and debris from the sensors toss are usually common), contact a technician. They can replace and/or repair sensor wiring during a service call as this should not take long. Sensors are very important in your garage door system (to prevent crushing objects and/or people), if you encounter persistent issues that you suspect are sensor-related, act resolutely and do not ignore it.

The good news is, the bulk of sensor issues are easy fixes with a little cleaning and adjustment.

4. Garage Door Opener Problems

Signs & Symptoms: When your garage door opener is not functioning properly, it will manifest by not responding to the remote or switch on the wall consistently. Some typical signs would be: the door does not open or close at all, the door engages then stops or reverses, or you hear the opener motor humming, but the door does not move.

Another possible sign would be slow or intermittent responses, such as you press the button and there is a delay or you'd have to press it multiple times. In different situations, the opener goes up and down but the door is creeping up and down slower than usual or seems to be struggling. Your garage door opener may show some unusual sounds like grinding or clanking from the opener unit, this can also indicate some sort of malfunction inside the operation mechanism.

Causes: There are various possible causes. Some are straightforward: dead remote batteries, or the opener came unplugged (yes, it happens!) Also check that the garage door isn't manually locked -- many doors have a slide lock that if locked, will not allow the opener to function. Another cause could be the photo-eye sensors (as discussed above) which stop the door and can seem to stop the opener from working.

When problems happen with the opener unit itself: the logic board could be bad, or the wiring could be damaged, especially after a power surge. The limits of the opener may be off; if the limits thinks it has reached the floor and it hasn't, it will reverse (you can easily correct it). An extremely common mechanical failure is a broken drive gear inside the opener itself or a broken belt/chain. Through years of use, the plastic gears inside chain-drive openers wears out, or the belt can break, which puts the motor in the on position without engaging the door. Openers in the Irvine area typically last 10–15 years, so age applies as well.

How to fix: Start with the basic issues – replace the remote batteries and make sure the opener itself has power. If the remote has no response but the wall switch does, you may have to reprogram the remote or replace it. Also, look at the LED lights to see if they have a blinking error code - many models will flash a pattern or sequence to let you know what is wrong (check your manual). If your doors reverse, you may want to adjust the down limit or sensitivity settings, according to the instructions for your particular opener – many times a simple adjustment will solve a door that will not close. If this does not suffice or the opener is making a grinding noise, it is most likely a mechanical failure or electronic failure deep inside the unit.

If you're experienced, you have several DIY options to replace you drive gear or sprocket (equipment manufacturers sell kits), but this could be complicated, and more often than not, (and it's not a surprise) you should call a professional garage door repair service for opener problems! When a technician comes out to diagnose problems with an opener, the technician will quickly know whether it is just an adjustment, a component replacement, or if it's time for a new opener. Of course, if you do choose to fix the opener, remember that sporadically trying to fix your opener with several different fixes may erase the program functions/positions and could cause more problems. If you know just trying random fixes isn't going to fix your garage door opener; then go ahead and get a professional involved. You want to ensure your garage door opener is fixed safely and correctly so your garage door can operate reliably again.

5. Worn Hardware, Rollers, or Cables (Noisy Garage Door)

Signs & Symptoms: If your garage door is loud or not functioning smoothly, generally a component in the hardware besides the door itself is worn or is simply in need of maintenance. Noisy operation - screeching, squeaking or grinding sounds, is usually a sign that the rollers are worn or the hinges are dry.

As the door operates, you may hear a loud popping or banging noise which can indicate loose bolts or a torsion spring that is binding. Vibration or shaking of the door during operation is also cause for concern. In some instances, you may visually observe frayed cables near the drum or rollers wobbling while on the track. All of these signs are indicative of components of the door mechanism that are loaded, under tension, or not moving freely.

Causes: Plain old wear and tear is the primary cause here. Garage door rollers (especially older metal ones) will wear and begin to drag on the track, or seize bearings will create a rough noisy ride. Hinges and other pivot points can lose lubrication, and create metal-on-metal squeals. Nuts, bolts and track screws can loosen over time from vibration, which can create rattles or misalignment. At the end of the day it is normally due to lack of maintenance – if the garage door has not had a tune up for several years, these issues will present themselves.

With cables, they can rust or fray after supporting the weight of the door for many years, especially if springs are out of balance, or moisture causes corrosion. Irvine is generally dry, but coastal air and environment can cause corrosion to metal in time as well.

Overall, anything that moves or bears weight on the garage door is going to have the potential to wear out eventually without regular maintenance.

How to Fix: Fortunately, most noisy door problems can be resolved simply through regular DIY maintenance. Here are a few simple repairs to do before you deny it warranty and/or pay for service:

1) Lubricate all moving parts. Use a silicone-based garage door lubrication or white lithium grease. Apply to any rollers, hinges, springs, and tracks (be sure to clean the tracks before lubricating them). This step usually eliminates squeaks immediately and should be a regular maintenance carried out every few months.

2) Loosen and tighten any possible loose bolts or screws on the door and track (use a socket wrench but don't overtighten and strip them). If after this step, the door still grinds or the rollers are flat-worn out or wobbling, you might want to replace the rollers. Upgrading to nylon rollers (which tend to make less noise than metal) is generally the most effective way to solve a noisy door.

Replacement of rollers is generally DIY friendly for those with some experience with tools - you just need to be careful when removing and replacing the rollers, one at a time, which, in general, is likely to be performed with the door in a vertical position (half-way open) with the springs tension taken off. If you are not the DIY type, then a technician installing rollers will be fairly quick. If you have frayed or damaged cables, then we recommend contacting a door technician. Cables are under high tension and can snap, so it is better to have a professional install any cable replacements. After the hardware repairs, give the door a test, and listen to the operation. In general, the door should go up and down smoothly with very little sound. Generally, regular maintenance will address any noisy operation issues and also help to keep your door operating reliably.

When to Call the Professionals in Irvine?

While some garage door fixes are DIY-friendly, remember that safety comes first.

If you’re ever unsure or uncomfortable with a repair, calling a professional is the best move. Many Irvine homeowners choose to trust the experts, and one standout local provider is OC Garage Door Guys. Here’s why:

• 24/7  Emergency Service: Garage door issues don’t always happen at convenient times. OC Garage Door Guys offers around-the-clock emergency garage door repairs in Irvine, so you’re never stuck with a jammed door overnight
  

• We provide same-day service and quick responses whenever you need help.
  

• Licensed and Professional Technicians: All technicians at OC Garage Door Guys are thoroughly trained, licensed, and insured professionals.
  

You can trust that the person repairing your door knows the proper safety procedures and uses quality parts. A licensed tech will handle high-tension components like springs and cables with the utmost care.

• Stellar Customer Reviews: Irvine residents consistently give OC Garage Door Guys top marks. For example, the company has earned a 4.9 out of 5-star rating in Google from hundreds of satisfied customers.

  YELP | GOOGLE | TRUSTPILOT | BIRDEYE
  

Strong reviews highlight our reliability, honesty, and friendly service, giving you peace of mind that your garage door is in good hands.

• OC Garage Door Guys is a local, family-owned Irvine company committed to high-quality service. Whether you’re dealing with one of the common problems above or a custom garage door issue, we have the knowledge and equipment to help.

  With prompt service, honest pricing, and a customer-first approach, we’ve become known as the go-to garage door repair Irvine specialists.

Orange County Garage Door Repair | Irvine, CA 92620