Tips for Maintaining Garage Doors

Your garage door is the largest door in your home and also the single largest moving part as well. It is used multiple times in a day, at any hour and in all seasons. It is a very important part of your garage because it keeps your car and other things safe. Therefore, you need to take care of it well because it can be quite a hassle if it malfunctions or if it stops working. It is a big part you need to replace and it may cost you a lot.

To prevent your garage door from being broken and to keep it operating smoothly for a long time, here are some helpful tips that you can do.

Be Observant

One of the most important and easiest step you can do to maintain and take care of your garage door is to be observant. Always stay alert and observe your garage door in action every time you use it. Make sure that it is working smoothly without any jerking. The entire door should go up and down easily, and both sides of the system should be perfectly symmetrical. There can be very little noises but there should be no grinding and scraping noises as the door moves.

Tighten Up the Hardware

Maintaining Garage Doors

Since garage doors are used more than a thousand times in a year, some of its parts might be loosening up. This is why it’s important to tighten up its parts, such as the roller brackets and bolts, every once in a while. This is very easy to do, as long as you have a wrench, you can surely tighten everything up.

Test the Garage Door’s Balance

Keeping your garage door balanced is important because if it’s not properly balanced, the garage door opener will need to work harder which can lead to it being broken over time.

For you to be able to check your garage door’s balance, disconnect the opener by pulling the release handle, which is usually a red cord. Then, manually move the door halfway up. If the door does not stay put, it means that its counterweight system or springs are not balanced. Balancing the garage door can be challenging, so you might need to call a professional to fix it.

Inspect the Rollers and Replace Broken Ones

Garage doors can have steel or nylon rollers. But whichever your garage door uses, it should be inspected at least twice a year, and be replaced every seven years or earlier if you use your garage door more often in a day. If you notice that the rollers are worn, chipped, or cracked, they should be replaced immediately.

To replace garage door rollers, simply remove the brackets that are not directly attached to the cable system, slide the broken rollers out, then slide the new ones in.

Check the Weatherstripping and Replace It If Needed

Weatherstripping is found on the bottom of your garage door. It stands as a secure seal when the door is closed. So, if you notice that the rubber weather seal strip on the bottom of your garage door is cracked or broken, replace it as soon as possible to keep the elements out of your house.

You can purchase it by foot at hardware and home improvement stores. You just have to cut it according to the size of your garage door and place it into the grooves with the wide angle of the flange inside the door.

Lubricate Moving Parts

Another way of keeping your garage door working smoothly for years is by keeping it properly lubricated. Lubricating your garage door will only take 10 minutes of your time but it will add years of seamless operation to your system. You can purchase lubrication spray for the overhead springs and lithium grease for the chain and screws in home improvement stores.

Inspect the Cables

You should not move or try to do anything with the high-tension cables that are responsible in lifting your door because they are dangerous. These cable can get you injured or even killed. However, you can safely check them around the bottom roller bracket if they are still intact and working well. If you notice some broken strands or some damages, you should call a professional to get it fixed.

Test the Auto-Reverse Safety Features

Garage doors have two mechanisms: mechanical and photocell. You can test the mechanical feature by placing a piece of wood or brick on the ground in the patch of the garage door. When the door comes down and touches the object, it should reverse direction and go back up again.

To test the photoelectric system, close the garage door and pass your leg in the door’s path. Your door should reverse when you do this and should move back up again. If your garage door opener is more than 20 years old, you might consider replacing it with a new one because it may lack these basic safety features.

Clear Out the Tracks

It’s important to make sure that the tracks on both sides of your garage door are free from debris. These tracks can be filled with all kind of dirt and other materials, therefore, checking and cleaning it once in a while will help maintain your garage door.

Keep Your Garage Door Clean

The garage door itself should be examined as well. If you have a wooden garage door, check if it has water damage and warp, as well as chipped and peeling paint. For steel doors, check if it has some rust spots that are needed to be sanded, primed, and painted. Wash your garage door as often as you wash your car.

Your garage door makes up almost one-third of your house’s exterior, therefore, you need to keep it looking fresh and clean. Aside from the looks, it should be working well all the time. We hope the tips we shared will be able to help you maintain your garage door.