Your garage door is a vital part of your home. It can be a real pain when your garage door does not work right. One of the most common problems of garage doors is when they come off track. Some garage door repair projects can be a fairly simple fix. Here are some quick fixes to an off-track garage door.

Rollers Off Track.

One of the main reasons garage doors go off track is a roller has gotten out of the track, broken, or has stopped rolling smoothly because of lack of lubrication. To get your garage door roller back in track, follow these steps.

Turn Off Your Garage Door Opener.

Locate the string that is dangling from the control panels of the door opener. To unlock the opener, pull on this line. This will open and close the garage door manual.

Open the Garage Door.

Open the door manually. Once you locate where the wheels on the door are jumping off the track, snap-locking pliers underneath the door on one of the tracks.

Inspect the Garage Door Tracks.

Many how-to’s skip this step, but really this is essential. Your roller came off the track, but you want to make sure your garage door track itself is not to blame. Check to see if your garage door track is loose from the wall. The tracks separating from the garage walls is a common cause of a garage door malfunctioning. If the track is loose, find a wrench or ratchet handle with the appropriate socket size and tighten the loose bolts back to the wall.

You also will want to inspect the track for any damage or bends that could have sent the roller out of the track. If you find dents in your garage door track, find a rubber mallet (you can use a hammer if you don’t have one) and a block of wood as your straightener, and hammer out the dents as best as possible. Now if the tracks are really bent and damaged, its better to replace the tracks instead of trying to hammer them out.

Lastly in regard to your garage door tracks, you just want to make sure your tracks are still aligned correctly. Horizontal tracks should be slightly angled towards the back of the garage, and roll-up door tracks should be exactly leveled. Use a level to determine if your alignment is correct. If it is not, loosen their brackets, hold the rollers in position, and gently tap them into proper alignment.

Pop The Roller Back in Place.

Now that you have inspected the garage door tracks and fixed any issues there, it’s time to put the roller back in the track if it has popped out. Use a pair of pliers and open the track precisely at the spot where the roller has jumped out of the track. Put the rollers back inside the track and close the opening in the track. We also suggest a few sprays of lubricant on the roller, as lack of lubricant can be a cause of the roller jumping off track.

Check if Open and Closing Properly.

Once all rollers are replaced, manually inspect garage doors to see if they’re running smoothly and if the door is opening properly. Before hooking your opener motor back up manually open and close the door a few tries.

We hope these quick fixes to an off-track garage door have been helpful. If you have looked at your track and rollers and are still not sure why your garage door went off track, or need help fixing your off-track garage door, Spectrum Overhead Door LLC in Houston, TX will be happy to come examine your garage door, its tracks, rollers, and other working parts to determine the problem quickly and fix it right the first time. Spectrum Overhead Garage Door has been repairing Houston garage doors for over 15 years. You can call 281-748-9542 or if on the East side of Houston 713-557-3407 to schedule an appointment or get a free quote. Same-day service appointments are available!