Garage door maintenance cannot be overlooked if you want to remain safe and save money. You should at least conduct a seasonal inspection about 2-4 times a year. So if you are all for saving yourself from an expensive repair bill, read on to find out the top tips on how to care for your garage door.
- Stop Look and Listen
Well, not so much stop as you should look and listen. A lot of potential issues with your garage door can be observed. A faulty garage door often manifests its symptoms in the form of jerky movements, creaky or grating sounds, or unevenness.
A healthy garage door should operate smoothly, rising and falling like a knife through butter and is relatively quiet (depending on the type of garage door opener you have), but it should definitely sit evenly on the tracks with no abnormal movements or sounds. The last thing you want if for your garage door to fall onto your beautiful 1953 Chevy 210 Club Coupe
- Inspect All the Components
All the tiny moving parts such as the rollers, chain, screws, etc each play and important part in this well-oiled (hopefully well-oiled but we will get to that later) machine.
Take the time to make sure each one of these little players are in tip-top shape and replace anything that seems worn or damaged.
- Clear the Tracks
If debris or dust is lodged in the tracks, it could cause unevenness or jerky movements. Sometimes fixing the issue is as simple as clearing out the tracks.
- Tighten Everything
A garage door’s main function is to lift and lower as people exit and enter. If any one of these components become loose or fall out altogether, the door is liable to come plunging down. You do not want to see the aftermath of such a fall. To prevent this, simply tighten all the hardware. Give it a twist or two a few times a year for good measure.
- Lubrication for this Well-Oiled Machine
Jerky movement can also be attributed to un-lubricated tracks, rollers and, tracks and belts as well as hinges. Grab the old trusty lubricant oil and douse the squeaky parts.
- Choose the Right Spring
Depending on the design and main purpose of your garage, you may choose between two types of garage door springs: extension spring and torsion spring. Both ease of use and lifespan of your garage door may depend on the door springs, so better pick the right one so you won’t have to replace it from time to time.
- It’s All About Balance
Next up, check the balance of your garage door. An imbalanced door needs to work that much harder every time it lifts and lowers, which causes more stress and leads to a shorter lifespan.
To test for this, you should disconnect the opener first, then move the door about halfway down. If it cannot hold this position on its own, then it means the counterweight system is off balance. Unfortunately if this is the case, then you need to seek professional assistance.
Conclusion
Making sure your garage door is working fine requires annual maintenance. To ensure its in the best condition however, we suggest doing seasonal checks as the cold and hot temperatures can cause the material to expand/shrink and could therefore lead to other issues. Follow the 6 simple steps above to guarantee your garage door will live a long and happy life.
