How Do I Fix the Rollers on My Garage Door?
May 16, 2022
Garage rollers are an essential part of your garage door. When they age or break, your garage door can become inoperable.
Read on to learn more about the various types of garage door rollers, including how to know if your garage door rollers are bad, how to fix them and when you should replace them.
What Are Garage Rollers?
Garage rollers are the small wheels on your garage door. The wheels fit into tracks on either side of the door, enabling it to move up and down.
These wheels often contain ball bearings to reduce friction, letting the rollers move more smoothly and quietly. The wheels attach to a shaft that fits into a steel bracket on the garage door. When they’re working correctly, these rollers move along the tracks and guide your garage door up and down.
Types of Garage Door Rollers
Garage rollers come in a variety of materials, each with advantages and disadvantages:
- Plastic rollers: Made of hard plastic, these basic rollers are inexpensive and often come with new garage doors. However, they typically only last a couple of years.
- Steel rollers: Durable and cost-efficient, steel rollers are a solid step up from hard plastic. However, they’re often noisier than other rollers and need regular lubrication. Rust may also be a concern if they’ll be operating in a damp environment.
- Nylon rollers: While more expensive than either plastic or steel, nylon rollers have become a popular choice. Their highly durable nylon is quieter and more weather-resistant than steel and these rollers require very little maintenance overall.
Knowing the type of garage door roller you have will be very helpful when you need to fix or replace them. You’ll be able to estimate how long your rollers will last and how frequently you’ll need to maintain them.
How Often Should Garage Door Rollers Be Replaced?
How often you change your garage door rollers largely depends on the type of rollers you have. While basic plastic rollers usually only last a couple of years, steel rollers and nylon rollers can last a long time.
The life of your rollers also depends on the average number of daily cycles your garage door goes through, or how many times it opens and closes on a daily basis. When buying garage door rollers, you can measure their longevity by their cycle ratings. While you’ll likely have to estimate your average daily cycles, this rating can still give you a good idea of how long the rollers should last.
How Do I Know If I Need New Garage Door Rollers?
Once you know what to look for, you’ll find there are a variety of other signs that can let you know it’s time to replace your rollers:
- Old age: One of the easiest ways to know if it’s time to replace your garage door rollers is to check the cycle rating. If you remember when you bought them, this rating will give you an idea of whether or not your rollers are approaching the end of their lifecycles.
- Noisiness: If you hear a constant grinding, scraping or screeching noise, it may be a sign that you need to replace your garage door rollers. You may just need to add some lubrication if you have steel rollers, while plastic or nylon rollers may be on their last legs.
- Shaking: Rusted garage door rollers can cause your garage door to vibrate and shake as it opens. Check the tracks for signs of rust, especially if you have steel rollers.
- Slow operations: Even the most durable materials can only last so long. General wear can make your garage door rollers less effective, making your garage door open more slowly than usual.
- Visible signs of wear: Make sure you inspect your garage door rollers every so often for signs of damage. Check for cracking and chipping, loose parts and any broken seals on the rollers. Your garage door is made up of a lot of intricate parts — it’s important to check every once in a while to make everything is still intact.
How to Replace Garage Door Rollers
You’ve spotted one of the signs above, and it’s time to consider a replacement. Rather than tackling the job yourself, it’s best to contact a professional service for any significant garage door roller repairs and replacements. While you may think that a DIY approach could save you some money, there are many advantages to using a service, including:
- Safety: One of the biggest benefits of a professional service is safety. There are many moving parts on a garage door — if you’re not sure what you’re doing, you could be risking injury. Hiring a professional will help you stay protected.
- Quality: With a professional service, you’ll be getting garage door technicians with years of experience in the industry. They’ve done countless replacement jobs and know exactly what they’re doing. You’ll be able to trust the quality of the final product.
- Reliability: Although you may save money by doing a repair or replacement yourself, you also might lack the reliability that a professional service would give you. Invest in a service to get expertise that you can rely on for years.
Garage doors can present multiple dangers when they’re not operating correctly, so it’s important to find someone who has the training and experience to replace your rollers safely. However, you still have several ways to determine if your rollers need repairs or a complete replacement.
1. Examine Your Rollers
When you’re experiencing those telling signs of garage door roller wear, get up close and inspect them. Look for any loose or chipping parts, scratch marks or signs of rust. Clear away debris, lubricate all moving parts and then test the door again.
2. Tighten Parts
As your garage door moves up and down, the vibrations can loosen the bolts, nuts and screws that hold its parts together. Perform a thorough check to see if any have come loose.
If you do notice any loose bolts or screws, you can get a screwdriver and tighten these parts. Sometimes simple tightening can do the trick.
3. Check Springs and Chain
You can also inspect other parts of your garage door like the springs and chain to determine where the problem originates. While the rollers could be causing noisiness and shaking, it’s best to investigate every possibility. Improper track alignment or an old chain could be complicating your garage door operations.
Contact Halo Overhead Doors Today
Finding a professional service is the way to go when you need a garage door repair or replacement. When you need a company you can trust, Halo Overhead Door is there to help. We’re a family-owned company that’s been in business since 1991. We offer a wide selection of residential and commercial garage doors as well as a variety of services.
Work with us to find a quality garage door or get your door back in working order. Contact us today!