When you think of hardware, often you may think, “A bolt is a bolt is a bolt.” In many cases, that may be true. However, garage door hardware is a bit more involved than that. Of course, there are bolts. There are also tracks, hinges, torsion bars, rollers, and more. Just as you wouldn’t put mismatched parts in your car, you don’t want to do the same with your garage door system.
Sure, some hardware, like the bolts, is interchangeable, and a trip to your local hardware store will work. There are parts of your system that were made to match your particular system and shouldn’t be “swapped out” for generic parts; these items include your garage door tracks, rollers, and torsion bars. These items seem simple but are integral parts of a smoothly running garage door system.
If the tracks are bent in any way, the garage door will open in a jerky, uneven manner. Likewise, if the rollers upon which the door moves in the track are worn out. The torsion bar is part of the spring system. If it is bent or loose, not only will the door not operate properly, but a potentially dangerous situation involving the torsion spring can occur. It’s important to note that all repairs to the spring system should be done by qualified service technicians.
Loose hinges and bolts may also cause the system to become unbalanced, which causes uneven operation. If your garage door bounces as it opens and closes, or gets stuck at various points in the process, this is a sign that some part of your system is not functioning properly. The best way to ensure proper system operation is to call the Garage Door Man! We’ll figure out what’s wrong with your system, get the right parts for it, and have it running smoothly, all at a very affordable price!