In most cases, minor repair jobs can save you a lot of money by not making you purchase a whole new door. Here are some things to check out first to see if your door can be repaired:

Examine the tracks. Garage doors function on a metal track that lets the door rise up and slide away. Go over the tracks to be certain that they are correctly fastened to their backings.

Fasten any nuts and bolts that look wobbly or, if necessary, change them. Nuts and bolts that are not well fastened could obstruct the door as it tries to follow the track.

Clean the rollers and tracks. Sometimes a garage door won't work as effectively if the rollers on the door or the metal tracks are full of debris. Check them out and clean them if needed.

If there appears to be a sludge-like substance, then you can try cleaning the tracks and rollers with regular household dish soap. Once the debris is cleared away and the tracks are cleaned up, the door can run smoother when you're operating it. Using lubricant oil can also enable the door to operate more smoothly.

You may also want to take a look at the springs. Many doors have tension springs on them, and you will want to make sure that these springs are in good shape. Sometimes they just need to have the tension readjusted so that they work just like they should. If you find that the tension springs are in poor condition, it is usually a lot safer to make sure they get replaced.

Checking out the pulley system associated with the springs is important as well. You'll want to make sure it's in good shape, and if not, then make sure to replace it.

If your door has only one tension spring that's located in the center of your track system and you think it needs to be repaired, call a professional to come do it. With the tremendous amount of tension that the spring holds, it would be too dangerous to try to repair or replace it yourself.

Take the time to check out the hardware on the door and the track system. In some cases just a loose hinge can cause all the trouble. If there is something that needs to be tightened, do it. Also, replace hinges on the door if you think they may be the problem.

The door opener itself should be checked out as well, since it could be the problem. It may need to have some new batteries placed in it. However, you may need to totally replace the garage door opener as well. If it does need replaced, make sure it's compatible with your door.

If the garage door isn't functioning well, determine if there might be something that you can easily repair before you decide to replace the door completely. If you do need a new door, hire a pro to install it for you.