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Best Ways to Do Maintenance on Your Garage Doors
Your garage door is an important part of your home and your commute, and it’s easy to take it for granted. Every homeowner is used to simply pressing a button and having this large piece of equipment do its job with no hassle and no fuss, as it should work. However, like any piece of equipment, it will need maintenance from time to time in order to continue working as well as possible. Your garage door contains multiple large, moving parts, and each of these represents an element that needs to be attended to if you want a garage door that continues to do its job. Repairing a broken door can be a costly hassle, but with the right preventive maintenance tips done by the right crew, you can avoid the breakdowns and keep your garage door (and your commute) running smoothly.
So, what are the top 10 maintenance tips for garage door owners to follow?
1. Check your door for unusual sights and sounds.
It’s easy to get used to the way your garage door operates. After all, when you’re leaving the house you likely have other things on your mind. Next time you’re using your garage door, keep an eye and ear out for any unusual sights or sounds like slow rising, visible straining/jerking, or squeaks and scrapes. These could be signs that there’s an issue, and if it’s not taken care of, this could lead to a major repair.
2. Inspect your door’s balance.
Your garage door works on the principle of proper counterbalancing to allow your opener to easily operate. Test your balance by pulling your garage door opener’s release handle and opening the door halfway up. If it moves, your springs aren’t balancing properly and may need to be tightened by a professional crew.
3. Make sure nuts and bolts are tightened.
This sounds obvious, but with so much movement constantly going on with garage door parts, nuts and bolts can become less tight and lead to less safety for your door. Inspect your door’s nuts and bolts, tightening where necessary to ensure everything stays in shape.
4. Lubricate the moving parts.
In garage doors, the biggest element that leads to problems is friction. Luckily, lubrication is quick and easy, and it also adds years of operation to your system. Your opener’s chain or screw and the overhead springs are the best places to lubricate, perhaps as little as only once per year with products including white lithium grease.
5. Review your door’s rollers.
Your garage door rollers are the tools which allow your door to move easily and smoothly and cracked or warped rollers lead to more vibration, friction, and strain on the system. You’ll be amazed at the difference a few new rollers can make. If you need help replacing your cracked rollers, contact the crew at Garage Doors of Indianapolis.
6. Clear your tracks of debris.
Your rollers run on a track, and if anything happens to be in that track, it can damage the rollers and also strain your garage door opener. Simply check by hand or with a tool to make sure that there isn’t any loose debris on the track and you can avoid a much more costly problem in the future.
7. Review your lift cables
The high-tension cables in your garage door allow the system to work properly, but if they wear down enough to the point where they snap, this could lead to serious injury. Review your lift cables, and if they seem to be worn down, get a professional crew in to replace them. It’s a quick and easy job that can avoid hassle down the line.
8. Test your safety features.
Garage doors rely on mechanical and photocell safety features to avoid crushing anything in their path. First, make sure with a brick that your garage door will bump into it and reverse instead of continuing to put pressure on, and then run your leg against the strip that detects movement to be sure the door will reverse. If your door is old enough that it doesn’t have these safety features, it’s time to get a new unit.
9. Keep moisture out with weather-stripping.
Keeping moisture out can lead to a better, drier garage in general, as well as make sure your parts don’t rust. Check your weather stripping for cracks or missing parts, and if it’s not up to snuff, replace them for more comfort and longer lasting garage door components.
10. Keep your door looking good.
Whether it’s water damage, warping, rust or more, groom your door and take care of these minor issues before they affect its structural integrity and need to be replaced.
Your garage door takes up a major part of the front of your home and allows you to come and go every day without a hassle. Follow these simple preventive maintenance tips for your garage door, and contact Garage Doors of Indianapolis to meet your every garage door need!