Rollup doors do a lot of great things for your facilities — they protect them from the elements and guard against invaders. They also hide your business's merchandise away from prying eyes. However, these abilities can only hold true if the door itself works as intended. A range of common rollup door problems can affect the door's capacity to protect your investment. Even high-quality rollup doors may see issues over time due to natural occurrences like rust and aging.

These issues are why it's essential to know some of the most common concerns, learn how to perform commercial rollup door troubleshooting and know when to contact a professional. When every component of your business is in working order, you can avoid taking hits to your productivity and revenue.

6 Reasons Your Overhead Door Won't Close or Open

Is your rollup door uneven? Does it struggle to open or close all the way? If so, it's likely experiencing one of the potential issues an overhead door may encounter throughout its lifetime. Luckily, many of these problems are preventable as long as you understand how they arise and how to address them. Here are seven possible reasons why your overhead garage door is giving you trouble.

1. It Lacks a Power Source

Loss of power can be a common reason why people need to perform commercial overhead door troubleshooting. Be sure you know when you're dealing with a run-of-the-mill power outage versus an isolated incident. If your building still has electricity, and your garage door isn't working, there may be an issue with the breakers. If this has happened, your door may remain in an open or closed position.

Similarly, there may be an issue with your remote or wall switch — such as an out-of-sync remote or faulty electrical wiring. If you've identified a problem with the wiring, shut off the power supply before attempting to fix or troubleshoot anything.

2. It's Being Obstructed

Obstructions can be physical objects or even particles of dust and dirt. When investigating why your rollup door is jammed, no option is too extreme for why it won't open or close. Small particles can easily build up and become caked-on grime that interferes with your door's operation. A physical obstruction like a piece of loose material is easy enough to remove. Eliminating dirt and grime will require a bit more effort.

3. Its Parts Are Worn-Out or Broken

As components age, they can make your rollup door hard to open, and they will eventually require replacements. Torsion springs and bearings are standard subjects of overhead door wear and tear.

In many types of doors, torsion springs control the up and down movement and withstand numerous cycles — anywhere up to 50,000 cycles. Eventually, they wear out, though, and the environment can contribute to this. For example, humidity makes them more susceptible to rust. Whether you need a spring adjustment or an entire replacement, it's beneficial to know when the torsion spring is causing the problems. For safety, remember always to call a professional to handle torsion spring replacements.

The end bearing plates are another area of the door that could become worn out over time. These bearings support the weight of the spring and the entire door. Over time, they may begin to grind, forcing the rollup door to work harder and operate noisily. Worn out end bearing plates may bind up, preventing movement and putting the door out of alignment. You can detect any signs of wear around the end bearing plates if you find any black dust or powder around the component, which indicates metal grinding against metal.

4. Its Components Are Misaligned

Misaligned parts are a common culprit for rollup door problems. Misaligned hoods, fascias and tracks or too-tight guides can lead to a door that scrapes against the guides, which can cause property damage and take the paint off the panels. This issue affects both the door's aesthetic quality and performance. This kind of predicament is one you want to avoid whenever possible — one problem is easier to solve than multiple.

Rust can also change a door's alignment — this often happens when the track becomes corroded. Rust can negatively impact how the door runs over the tracks, causing your rollup door to be uneven. If the tracks become misaligned, a domino effect may occur with other system components. The curtain could sustain damage as it crosses over this uneven path, or the motor could burn out from working harder.

5. Its Motor Is Faulty

If your electric rollup door won't open, the jam may be due to a motor-based issue. Because motors are such complex parts, it may be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause without the expertise of an overhead door professional. If you decide to give the motor a preliminary inspection before calling, make sure the door is turned off, as well as the power supply.

While complete motor failure is easier to detect, you might have an issue in which the motor doesn't sync up with the remote or wall switch. Faulty sensors are another common malfunction of motor-powered doors. When this happens, your overhead door won't be able to sense obstructions and subsequently reverse or stop as needed.

6. Its Spring Tension Is Too High

If your door's springs are tensioned more than what's recommended, they become more likely to break. In addition to this issue, incorrect tension makes your door harder to operate, which may be causing some of the concerns you've encountered. When the spring tension is too high, the door becomes difficult to close and easy to open. When it is too low, it becomes difficult to open and easy to close. If you suspect this is why your door is stuck, it's best to call a professional for a rollup door tension adjustment to ensure every mechanism is adequately calibrated.

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Commercial Rollup Door Troubleshooting

If you suspect there's an issue with your rollup door, it pays to know how to troubleshoot. That way, you can pinpoint the cause of the problem and get in touch with a professional quickly if needed. Here's what you can do to investigate the situation and discover the cause of your commercial door challenges:

• Misaligned tracks: If your door is no longer following its tracks, check if it has any signs of warping or dents. The track itself may be dented, loose or dirty — or lacking lubrication. It may be hard to tell if your door has run off its tracks when it is tucked in the overhead hood in the open position. In this case, calling commercial door professionals — like those at Cookson — can save you the time and stress of examining it yourself.
• Rusty and worn parts:  Metal end bearing plates and torsion springs may become rusted or worn out with time. Look for black metal dust or filings or binding and listen for excessive noise on the bearings. Inspect the spring for rust and other damage. Check for rust or corrosion around door elements and door panels as well.
• Faulty motor: If the motor emits unusual sounds, struggles to move the door along its tracks or doesn't respond to the remote or wall switch, it may be about to fail or is out-of-sync with the door.
• Tight components: A jammed rollup door is often a sign of tight guides, and a hard-to-close door indicates high spring tension. Be sure to check for missing paint and damage to the door itself. It may be easy to mistake this issue as a case of misaligned tracks. Inspecting individual elements, like the springs and guides, will give you a better idea of what's causing the faulty operation.
• Obstructions: Look for any possible obstructions around or on the door, whether they're physical objects or built-up grime. You may find leaves or other debris hung up in the guides.
• Power issues: Always turn off the power before you inspect anything related to the electrical wiring. Examine the breakers to see if they've been tripped, and check out the circuit board if those aren't the answer. You might find it needs a replacement.

Fixing Your Rollup Door

You know what's causing your overhead door to malfunction, so how do you fix it? Some issues are easy to tackle by yourself and don't require much intensive work. However, you always want to practice caution when dealing with a heavy overhead door, especially if there's a chance it could come loose. Don't hesitate to get in touch with the professionals if the complications are more than what you or your workers are equipped to handle.

Here are a few things you can do to repair your door system:

• Do a thorough cleaning: If you can chalk your issues up to being caused by dust or debris, cleaning your garage door should be enough to remove the obstructions and return your equipment to working order. Additionally, protecting your door against rust will save you the trouble of dealing with this unwelcome issue before it ever begins. Wash it regularly with soap and water and lubricate your tracks, end plate bearings, chain drive and springs.
• Replace the parts: You may need to replace individual components — such as the tracks or motor — if they've failed or sustained substantial damage. If the door panels have noticeable dents or scratches, it's not difficult to replace these. However, if they're bent out of shape and have badly affected the door system, you might need to have a professional remove the entire door and install a new one.
• Fix the guides: If your rollup door is off-track, you might be able to remedy this by tightening the loose track or cleaning debris off of it. If the problem is more involved, you can disconnect the door from the opener. Readjust the guides to make them plumb, and ensure the gap dimensions match the measurements listed in your door's installation manual or construction drawings. If any part of the guides is bent or damaged, contact a professional.
• Resync the door: If your door's remote isn't working, it may simply need a change of batteries. Resyncing it could also be necessary, and fortunately, this process isn't complicated. If the wall switch doesn't work, however, repairing it can be more complex. The same goes for replacing the circuit board. Contacting a commercial door professional may be a safer option when dealing with electrical systems.

What Is Required to Adjust a Rollup Door?

If your commercial door's spring tension is off, it is relatively easy for a professional to adjust it. A commercial door that's difficult to close is indicative of tension that needs to decrease, while a hard-to-open door needs an increase in tension. How does a technician adjust a rollup garage door? They can use an Allen wrench to access the exposed drive. From there, they'll turn the wrench clockwise to release tension or counterclockwise to increase it.

After the adjustments are made, the technician will likely lubricate the springs to help keep them in excellent condition. Always leave rollup door spring adjustment to the professionals since torsion springs become dangerous if they snap unexpectedly.

Lubricating the door's other moving parts, such as the springs, with a manufacturer-approved lube is something you can do yourself if you feel comfortable doing so. Using a non-grease lube instead of grease is ideal because it can make it harder for debris and dirt to accumulate on the tracks and elsewhere. 

Contact the Rollup Door Experts at Cookson

If you've conducted commercial rollup door troubleshooting and need assistance from expert door professionals, Cookson can help. We offer a range of resources for commercial overhead doors, from parts and accessories to dealer services. We have experience working with commercial door installations and repairs for numerous industries, including health care, schools and universities and retail.

We will also collaborate with you on the process of designing and installing a new door if you need a complete replacement. All our doors are custom-made, allowing you to select a fitting design and security level for your building. Whether you require a product or service, we provide reliable and innovative solutions. If you're interested in what we can offer you and your business, contact us to submit a request for parts or service or reach out to a local dealer.

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