Garage doors are quite simple. You don’t really give them much attention. They are there to go up and down when you need them to and that’s about it. The simplicity of it means that it’s also very easy to repair them. But, sometimes, even the best of doors will need a bigger fix.
How to Maintain Your Garage Door
If your door is working properly right now, then you should probably maintain it so that it stays that way for longer. It’s important to inspect them frequently and react right away if you see any problems. Learn more about how garage doors work on this page.
Here are some maintenance and inspection tips:
- Pay attention to the rollers – It’s important to clean them, as well as tracks on your garage door in order to have them working well for longer. You should also lubricate them with oil and also lubricate the axles. Check if the bearings on your rollers have worn out and replace them if they haven’t.
- Hardware – If you have an overhead garage door, then you probably know that the tracks are assembled from the sections which are attached to the garage with brackets. You have to check these brackets to make sure that they are safely attached with bolts and screws.
- Cables – If your garage door works on springs, then there will be some cables that can easily wear out. If the cables or pulleys are damaged then they need to be replaced but this is not something you should do on your own, but rather let a professional do it.
- The balance of your door – Your door should need only some pressure in order for it to move either up or down. If it’s worn out, then you will need to push a lot more to move the door. And this wears out motors which open your doors. This is why it’s important to replace the springs of your garage door.
- Auto reverse – The opener of your garage door will automatically reverse because it’s been designed to do that in case something is on the way of the door and they can’t get all the way down. Here’s a useful post on how to adjust this function: https://medium.com/@featuredstory/how-to-adjust-auto-reverse-on-garage-doors-28eae45ce5b7 If it works properly, then it’s great, but if it doesn’t, it’s a safety issue. You need to test this and fix it if there are issues.
If you don’t want the hassle of doing all of this on your own, you should call a technician to regularly check your garage and fix them if they find any problems.
Common Garage Problems
Here are some common problems that will tell you that your garage door could probably use a checkup.
- Noise – Strange sounds coming out of anything is a bad sign and this case is no different. For example, Freedom Garage Doors says that you should establish a baseline of noise your door is making and if you notice anything that shouldn’t be there, fix it as soon as possible. It can be really annoying, especially to the people within earshot of your home. It could be a simple case of a need for oiling or your hinges need to be replaced.
- No movement – Moisture and cold of the winter time can affect your door as well. They can easily freeze. So, it’s important to check if there is any ice between the floor and the door. Don’t get annoyed if it won’t move when you first try. This could mean that you have a bigger problem, like broken springs, worn out motor and so on. You can use a heat gun or a blow dryer as a way to melt any ice. You should keep this area dry and clean if you want to avoid ice in the future.
- Glass – Your garage will likely be a target to some play activities. Broken glass happens from time to time and it’s no big deal. However, you should remove the broken glass quickly and replace the glass as soon as possible to avoid any rain getting inside, as well as birds and bugs.
Make sure that you maintain and fix your garage doors whenever you notice any issues as they can be a safety concern for kids, pets or even grownups. They can also be a security issue if they don’t work properly.