If they are built of right kind of material and maintained in a proper way, garage door openers can easily last many years. In fact, you shouldn't find it hard enough to find doors that are known to have existed for most than 20 years in some old homes. Although the doors themselves can possibly last this long, the door openers may not last as long since they have to put it in a lot of work on a daily basis. There are many things that go into making a door system. Some of them include opener, cables, pulleys, etc.

It is common for these materials to get worn out over time. It is possible for the entire door system to stop working whenever one part fails. Now, this can have disastrous effects not just on you but also others that are present on the scene. If your garage door system is really old, then it is best that you keep reading.

Fraying Cables

You should take a look at the cables on the door tracks to see when it is time to replace them. As these cables do bulk of the work for door openers they are naturally subjected to wear and tear. If the cables ever snap, then you will certainly have a difficult time opening and closing your door with ease.

Security Sensors

Considering the utility of security sensors, the Government of United States, in 1993, made it a law for all garage owners to include them in their door systems. These sensors were required to be placed on either sides of the door and an infrared beam was passed underneath the door. If the beam were to be disrupted the garage door would stop its motion and will reverse its position. This will, in a way, prevent people, animals and other objects from getting crushed under the door.

Loose springs

You should know that garage doors aren't exactly light, so the springs that are in the door mechanism helps lift all that weight. Over time, the springs will become weak and brittle. The garage door opener will have to start working increasingly harder with damaged springs in place. This will cause the motor to become worn out very quickly.

Sometimes, the springs will get broken. Hopefully, nothing will be in the way whenever the spring breaks. Broken springs can generate a lot of force and can easily break windows or put holes in sheetrock.

Garage Doors from Lifetime