Good garage doors are usually rather durable. But considering that this is the biggest moving piece of most houses, they still need to be taken care of. So to prevent the need to use the garage door servicing and save some money, you should maintain the whole mechanism properly.
These simple actions will help you keep your garage doors in good condition.
Pay attention
Every time the doors to the garage move, listen to it and look at it. Does it make any unusual sounds? Does it move smoothly? It’s always better to detect that something is off as soon as possible rather than letting the issue evolve.
Also, examine the mechanism carefully from time to time. Check rollers and tracks – do you need to clean or lubricate them? These details are the core of the proper work of doors. So it’s crucial to take care of them and replace when needed. Don’t forget to give tracks and rollers a good brushing every couple of months and, of course, lubricate them, so they move smoothly. The consistent and careful maintenance will let your garage doors serve you well.
Tighten the hardware and keep the balance
Since doors move all the time, the vibration from movement eventually loosens the hardware. If you take care of it, you potentially expose yourself to an unsafe environment. Also, doors with the loosened hardware can quickly break, and it will cost a lot to fix them.
Another important thing is balance. The garage door has a counterweight system that takes the part of the weight of the motor. Thus, it doesn’t need to work that hard. So from time to time, you need to check the balance. Simply raise the door to the halfway up and see if it stays in this position. If it slides back down, the balance needs to be adjusted. If you don’t know how to do it, better call professionals.
Check the auto-reverse feature
Modern garage doors are equipped with a feature that prevents injuries and damage – the auto-reverse. To check if it works properly simply put any object – brick, for example – on the path of closing doors. If the feature works properly, once the door touches the object, it will open again. If it ignores the object and continues closing, you should repair the system.
Deal properly with the frozen door
Sometimes on cold days garage doors can freeze. When it happens, you may experience issues opening them. If the layer of the ice is thin, it can break letting the door open. But if the mechanism is frozen to the point when the door refuses to move, stop hitting the open button. Forcing the opener to work you can break it.
Instead, use something to melt the ice. It’s better to use a blowdryer or some other source of the heat. Trying to chip away the ice with a knife or any other tool you can damage rollers. And then, when doors can move freely, don’t rush. Clear the mechanism from the water and lubricate it just in case.
