It is commonly believed that garage doors fall out of alignment because of a physical trauma. It got a little bumped by a car or accidentally hit something while closing. That is a way that a garage door can fall out of alignment, yes, but there are also other causes. If your garage door has become misaligned and you don’t recall it hitting anything, here are some potential causes.
Weather
The weather in your area can be an unseen strain on your garage door. Hot and dry days can see the lubricant dry out which can affect alignment. Of course, after being berated on a particularly windy day, your garage door can also suffer in the same way as it would with a physical trauma.
Settling Foundation
Even if your home isn’t a new construction, it still may be settling. Over time as the foundation gradually settles, the frame of your garage may subtly shift. Even a small shift can have a big effect on your garage door. However, if a garage door keeps falling out of alignment for seemingly no reason, you may want to have your foundation inspected for issues.
Mechanical
Most commonly when a garage door inexplicably falls out of alignment, it is due to not physical trauma, but a mechanical issue. You will want to contact a garage door repair company to come out and examine the mechanical parts of your garage door as well as put it back into alignment. Chances are they will need to repair the spring, cable, or track system as well to prevent this issue from happening again.
Has your garage door fallen out of alignment? In order to safely use it again, it will need to be repaired and realigned. Contact us today to see what Smokey’s Garage Repair can do to help.