The parts on your garage door get a lot of wear and tear, so they gradually break down over the years. Parts like the springs and rollers even have ratings for how many cycles of operation they should have before they need to be replaced. However, they can need to be replaced sooner if they get damaged. Rollers have different lifespans depending on the materials they're made from. Here are signs the rollers are bad and how a garage door repair technician replaces them.

Signs The Rollers Need To Be Replaced

When rollers get bad, they may rust, crack, or wear away depending on the material they're made from. This could cause them to stick so the door won't glide. The door might become uneven or noisy. A roller might even pop out of the track when it gets worn down. Another sign of bad rollers is when the door vibrates as it rolls up and down.

Choices In New Rollers

When the garage door repair technician replaces the bad rollers, you'll get to select the rollers you want. Plastic rollers and steel rollers that don't have bearings have the shortest lifespans but they are also less expensive than higher-quality rollers. Steel rollers with bearings last longer, but they're noisy.

Nylon rollers are the most expensive, but they are the highest quality. They last the longest and have quiet operation. The lifespan of any type of roller depends on how well they're maintained too, so be sure to follow the maintenance instructions that come with the rollers. They may need periodic lubrication to have a long life and glide smoothly.

Method For Replacing Bad Rollers

Replacing bad rollers is a fairly easy type of garage door repair. However, it can be dangerous since a garage door is heavy. A roller can be popped out of the track with the flat side of a hammer or other tool. Once the roller is free, it is simply pulled out of the holes and a new one is slid in. Getting the roller back in the track requires prying the track open a little so the roller can be popped back in.

The repair technician only needs to pry open one area since the door can be raised or lowered to use the same opened area on the track with all the other rollers. The technician may replace one roller at a time along the sides and top. A garage door has several rollers, but since this is an easy repair, the work goes fast. When all the rollers are in place, the track area on each side that was opened is pounded back in place with a hammer and the door is tested to make sure it opens and closes properly.

If you think you need garage door repairs, check it out today and talk to a local repair technician.