One of a home’s most vital components is garage doors. They give security and cover for your automobiles and other things and also make your house seem nicer from the outside. Despite their relevance, many homeowners are unaware of the value of routine garage door maintenance and how it may prevent them from paying for expensive repairs and replacements.
You must do a few maintenance tasks on your garage door to keep it running correctly and looking wonderful. Use these five suggestions to prolong the lifespan and maintain the best condition of your garage door instead of waiting until it breaks.
- Inspect Often
Inspecting your garage door is a great way to keep it in top condition. Doing this regularly can catch any problems before they become more serious and expensive. Ideally, inspect your garage door at least twice a year for most doors that see regular use.
During the inspection, look at the tracks and hinges holding the door. Check for debris and rust buildup, ensuring the track hardware is tightened properly. You should also check the photo sensors that detect when something or someone is blocking the door; these should be kept clean and functional to ensure you stay safe while using the door.
While inspecting the doors, remember to check the windows, too, as they play a key role in your garage door’s functionality and looks. If you invested in low-quality windows for your garage door, you’d’ likely experience issues often. So, it’s’ crucial to understand how to choose windows for your garage door to ensure longevity.
Further, check that your door’s manual lock works properly and unlocks quickly enough so you don’t have to wait too long to get out of your garage. Next, operate the door opener normally and see if it’s’ running without snags. If there are any issues, you must further your inspection to diagnose them correctly.
- Lubricate Moving Parts
Maintaining the moving parts of your garage door is an important task many overlook. Without proper lubrication, these parts can rust or become tightly compacted over time, leading to decreased efficiency and potentially dangerous situations. That’s’ why it’s’ vital to regularly lubricate them every 6 months–to ensure smooth operation and protect your investment in the garage door.
Lubricating the moving parts of your garage door doesn’t have to be difficult; it’s’ quite straightforward. You only need a damp cloth and some lubricant suitable for metal surfaces. Place the cloth onto your garage door’s opening and movable parts, then apply the recommended amount of lubricant onto the surface.
Avoid applying any onto the tracks, which can further damage or reduce efficiency. These requirements are easy to follow and will help greatly reduce unwanted wear and tear on your garage doors!
- Tighten Loose Hardware
Regular maintenance ensures your garage door’s hardware and track are properly tightened. Loose or worn hardware can cause the entire system to malfunction, leading to unwanted safety hazards and expensive repairs. So, to keep everything functioning as it should, you should always check for any loose bolts or screws in the brackets that hold the door tracks to the wall and ceiling.
Also, use a socket wrench to tighten up any fasteners anchoring your garage door opener unit onto your home’s frame properly. This will help ensure that no components come loose over time because of repeated movements of opening and closing your garage door.
Further, tightening all hardware can help lengthen the lifespan of your garage door by reducing noise levels during operation and eliminating rattles caused by loose pieces. Doing this simple procedure now and then can save you more expensive repairs while keeping everyone in your home safe.
- Check and Clean the Tracks
Garage door tracks play a significant role in the function and life of your garage door. The tracks run along each side and above the door to facilitate easy opening and closing movement. To keep your tracks in good condition, it’s best not to apply lubricants or oils, which can lead to damage. Instead, clean the tracks with a warm semi-soft cloth and mild detergent periodically.
Keeping the tracks free from dirt can lessen wear and friction during operation. Yet, if you have little access to maintenance tools, daily upkeep should prevent premature damage or failure.
- Test the Auto-Reverse Feature
You and anyone operating an automatic garage door opener must understand and test the auto-reverse feature. This feature protects people, pets, and objects from being caught between the moving door and frame. To detect an object in the door’s path or any contact with an object during the closing, most systems have a pressure sensor or pair of photoelectric sensors that activate when a command activates.
Place a scrap board on the ground before the door to test the pressure sensor. When the door comes down and touches it, it should automatically reverse direction and go back up again. This test will confirm that your auto-reverse feature is functioning well, giving you peace of mind that safety will be assured whenever you use your automatic garage door opener.
Conclusion
Garage door maintenance may not sound like a priority in the grand scheme of things, but it’s an important task that can save you time and money in the long run. Making sure to lubricate moving parts, tighten loose hardware, clean tracks, and regularly test the auto-reverse feature will keep your garage door functioning optimally for years.
