Signs a roller door needs repair
Steel-Line lists the symptoms of a roller door that is out of balance: it fails to stay up, rolls up loosely, strains the motor, is hard to open or slams shut. Each of those points to the spring tension inside the drum, which a professional adjusts and then re-checks.
Other faults are easier to see. A curtain that has jumped out of a side guide, a bent bottom rail that no longer meets the ground evenly, or a dent that catches each time the door rolls past should all be looked at before the door is used much more.
Leave the tension and the U-bolts alone
Steel-Line says loosening the U-bolts can release the spring tension and bring the curtain down with force, and it warns that tensioning a roller door yourself risks serious injury or death. If the door drops or flies up on its own, stop using it and keep the car out until a door specialist has seen it.
When the motor is the problem
Plenty of roller door repairs turn out to be opener repairs. On a roller door, Merlin says, the opener sits on one side near the opening with the release cord attached to it, so it is easy to check that the cord is not frayed.
Merlin warns never to pull the door along with the release cord, which will snap under the load, and to take care using the release with the door up, since weak springs can let it fall fast. Steel-Line fits an emergency key release so the door can be opened when the motor fails or the power is out, which matters most when there is no other way into the garage.
Servicing and warranty on roller doors
- Gliderol recommends a service every 24 months for its residential roller doors, by an authorised distributor or technician.
- Gliderol says its Glidermatic Heavy Duty and Dual openers lose their 5 year motor warranty if they are not serviced every 18-24 months.
- Spring tension cover is short: 1 year on Steel-Line residential doors and 3 months on Gliderol's.
- B&D's standard warranty on a Roll-A-Door is 5 years.
Roller doors around Melbourne
Carports and sheds
B&D says a Roll-A-Door used five times a day lasts over 15 years, so a door that works harder on a busy shed or a shared driveway may need attention sooner.
Close to the bay
Gliderol's 7 year corrosion cover on roller door curtains does not apply within 800 metres of a high salt concentration, so check the terms if you live near the water.
After a big wind
Damaging winds over 100 km/h hit Melbourne's eastern suburbs on 13 February 2024. A curtain that rattles loose in its guides after a storm needs a door specialist, not a shove.
Roller door jobs you can and can't do
You can
- Hose the curtain down with fresh water, and more often near the bay
- Check the release cord for fraying and make sure everyone knows where it is
- Run the door once a month and listen for new noises
Leave to a door specialist
- Anything to do with the spring tension, the drum or the U-bolts
- A curtain that has come out of its guides
- A bent bottom rail or a worn weather seal
- Fitting or swapping the motor
What we would do
Before the door specialist calls, run the door once and note exactly where it sticks, speeds up or drops. A roller door that behaves until the last half metre tells a different story from one that struggles from the start, and it helps them bring the right parts.