Your commercial sectional door has given you a lot of use. Commercial doors are made to be robust, as they see a lot of use in their lifetime, but eventually, even they start wearing out.

Catching the signs of wear and tear in your commercial sectional doors can help save you on repair costs. Finding problems early means small maintenance costs rather than large repair or replacement bills. In this blog, we’ll go over some early signs that your commercial sectional door is wearing out so you can catch them before they turn into big headaches.

Your Cables Are Starting to Wear Out

Commercial doors are heavy, which means the cables of your sectional door do a lot of heavy lifting, especially if you open and close the door multiple times a day.

A sectional door’s cable consists of several wire strands twisted together. When one of the strands wears out or bends, the rest of the cable’s strands need to adjust to support a greater load. That leads to a greater chance of strands breaking due to overloading.

Cable strands can also wear out due to outside factors, such as fatigue, repeated bending, prolonged exposure to heat and moisture, friction, or a sudden release of tension.

If your door cables are starting to wear out, you’ll want to have them replaced as soon as possible. If your cables break thanks to excessive wear, it can lead to serious damage to your property and be a hazard to anyone in the vicinity.

Sections Are Developing Cracks

If your sectional door is made from high-quality materials, it can last a long time. However, the sections may still start wearing out and developing cracks.

Cracks in your sectional door can come from a wide range of sources. It can be from sources such as fatigue, stress, or corrosion, or it may come from natural events earthquakes, floods, storms, or high winds.

Initially, cracks may be microscopic, but the cracks may spread if the material is too thin or if it’s weaker. Larger cracks in your commercial door sections can lead to structural failure. The sections may begin to buckle under the weight and it can even cause your door to come right off the tracks. However, if the issue is detected soon enough by a sectional door maintenance team, they can repair and reinforce the affected sections and ensure the integrity of your door.

Residue is Gathering on the Floor or the End Plate Area

Have you started noticing a strange accumulation of black powder and metal shavings on the floor under your commercial door? You may also notice the same accumulation on the end bearing plate area.

This residue is from wear and tear on the metal components of your sectional door. The opener’s trolley can grind on the tracks if not lubricated correctly. The increased friction shaves off small particles from the metal during the opening and closing cycles, eventually weakening the door trolley until it breaks. The residue can also damage your commercial door’s finish or paint.

If you notice this residue building up, check your door’s lubrication. It may also require sectional door maintenance such as aligning the system components or rebalancing the door.

It Moves More Slowly Than Usual

Commercial doors have a lot of different moving parts that contribute to their movement overall. If your door is moving more slowly than usual, that may indicate a problem with one of the many different components.

For example, your door may have broken springs or there may be dirt or debris clogging up the tracks. If you are noticing slower movement than usual, you should call a sectional door maintenance technician to inspect the various elements and enact and necessary repairs.

It Makes Strange Noises During Operation

As is often the case with mechanical systems, one early sign that something is wrong can be that your sectional door is making unusual noises when opening or closing.

If you’re noticing excessive noises such as grinding, straining, cracking, or creaking sounds coming from your sectional door, you should call a sectional door maintenance professional to inspect it. A professional can examine your apparatus and find the root of the problem.

Ignoring those sounds could lead to serious problems down the line with additional repair or replacement costs or even leading to serious injury.

How Planned Maintenance Can Catch Problems Early and Save You Money

Your commercial door system is a key part of your enterprise. With the heavy usage that comes with the territory, keeping your door in top operational shape can be crucial in avoiding costly disruption to your business. Planned maintenance is a big part of keeping your commercial door operational. It can also save you money, both when it comes to repair or replacement costs and reducing downtime and productivity loss.

Maintenance is about more than just addressing problems as they arise – it’s also about proactively detecting and preventing future issues. Planned preventative maintenance from a skilled technician can extend your sectional door’s lifespan by years, saving you a lot of money on replacement costs.

Call Creative Door Services™ for Sectional Door Maintenance Today

At Creative Door Services™, we provide comprehensive repair and maintenance services for sectional doors throughout Western Canada. We have experience with a wide range of commercial door brands and are proud dealers in the region for Wayne Dalton doors.

You can count on our expert maintenance team to keep your commercial door in good condition. Our team of experienced technicians has all the tools and expertise needed to enact the repair and maintenance services you need to keep your business running smoothly. Whether the problem is small or large, we’ll catch it and rectify it, ensuring you can get more years of life from your equipment.

To learn more about our garage door products or request a quote, contact us today. We’re happy to serve you from one of our eight locations. You can find us in Kelowna, British Columbia; Vancouver, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta; Edmonton, Alberta; Fort McMurray, Alberta; Regina, Saskatchewan; Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; and Winnipeg, Manitoba.