If your garage door is defective, you might wonder if you should replace it. However, garage doors are expensive to replace and a door that might seem like it's in very bad shape might actually be easier to repair than you think. Oftentimes, the problem comes down to the tracks.

Why the Problem Might Be Your Tracks

When garage doors open and close, they move along a set of tracks. If there is something wrong with these tracks, your garage door might not open and close properly. For this reason, when you are hiring a garage door repair service, this is one of the areas they are most likely to check.

Cleaning Garage Door Tracks

One task you can do yourself is to clean your garage door tracks. The rollers can be cleaned with household cleaners. Afterward, they should be wiped down. Then, the garage door might move more smoothly along the tracks. You can also use this opportunity to inspect the tracks to see if they're damaged. You can then contact garage door repair technicians if you suspect that there is something wrong with your tracks.

Screwing Tracks in Place

The metal tracks need to be aligned correctly. If they become loose, the garage door will not be able to easily move along the tracks. Sometimes, the screws holding the tracks to the wall need to be tightened so the tracks will then be properly aligned. 

Fixing Damaged Tracks

Tracks can become dented or misshapen. This can prevent the garage door from easily moving along the tracks. The garage door repair service might replace the tracks or they might be able to hammer out the dents so they don't have to be replaced. 

The tracks need to be aligned properly for the garage door to function properly. However, even if they look even to the naked eye, you won't be able to really tell unless you use a level. A garage door repair service will be able to align the tracks without making the problem worse. 

Repairing Garage Door Tracks Yourself

While there are some minor maintenance tasks you can engage in when repairing your garage door, it's important to not make repairs yourself. Garage doors are very heavy and it can be dangerous to repair a garage door if you do not know what you are doing.

Also, if you end up damaging your garage door, it may cost more money to fix. Therefore, it's best to turn to garage door track repair services.