When we talk about garage door maintenance tips, we need first to understand why we need to do regularly maintain our overhead garage door system. Garage doors are one of the most used items in many homes, but they aren’t given much thought. On average, garage doors open 1,500 times a year, or three to five times every day. Think about how much strain your door goes through as it moves up and down constantly. This part of your home uses an intricate system with multiple components to raise and lower. Specifically, 10 parts are in an opening system: springs, rollers, tracks, cables, drums, tube shafts, retainers, seals, safety sensors, and release ropes.
Over time, each part of your garage door experiences wear and tear. When this wear and tear is not addressed early on, it will result in costly repairs. That’s why it’s important to learn about garage door maintenance. Preventative garage door maintenance tips such as below, stops your garage door from sustaining excessive damage, saving you time and money while helping keep your property safe. Learn five garage door maintenance tips to keep this part of your home functioning smoothly!
1. Observe and Listen
First and foremost, before any other garage door maintenance tips, is that you should do when checking your garage door is observe and listen while it opens and closes. Look at how it moves. Is your garage going too slow or slamming down quickly? That could mean your moving parts aren’t lubricated correctly or that your springs are damaged. Jerky, wobbly movements while your garage door is closing indicate issues with your tracks, rollers, cables, or spring.
Once you’ve observed how your garage door is moving, make sure to perform another test and listen. Are you hearing weird, grinding sounds or shrieking noises? Strange sounds could mean a few things are wrong with your garage door, such as loose hardware, lack of lubrication, or misalignment. When you’re done listening, go look over your opening system and see which parts are responsible for the problem.
2. Test Your Automatic Reversal System
Your automatic reversal system is an important safety feature comprised of two parts: an opener motor and infrared sensors. Sensors are usually set between four and six inches from the ground. If they sense anything in the path of the garage door, they’ll cause the garage door to not move at all or reverse. The opener motors will sense anything that the sensors missed on contact and make the garage door retract.
To test your automatic reversal system, get a small, solid object like a wooden block and place it in the path of your garage door. If your garage door doesn’t stop when it hits the block after a few seconds, there’s a problem with your opener motor. Next, place an object big enough for the sensors to pick up and try to close your garage door again. If it starts to close, there is something wrong with your infrared sensors.
3. Lubricate Garage Door Parts
Lubricating your garage door’s moving parts is an important step in your maintenance routine. This will ensure your parts move smoothly, preventing damage. The best option for lubricating your rollers, tracks, springs, and cables is white lithium grease.
4. Get a Professional Inspection Annually
From all garage door maintenance tips, this is the most important one. Many people make the mistake of DIYing solutions to fix their garage door problems. The stubborn resolve not to hire a professional can be a big problem. Unless you have the correct education and experience, you’re not equipped to pick up every problem with your garage door, much less fix each one. In the end, you’ll likely end up making problems worse if you try to DIY everything, resulting in more costly damages and repairs. Do yourself a favor. Shell out the money for a professional to inspect your garage door once a year.
5. Don’t Put Off Repairs
If something goes wrong with one component of your opening system, it will negatively impact all the other parts. That’s because one part’s failure shifts weight and strain onto other components. When you ignore repair needs, your whole system could sustain damage, which will cost more money to fix in the end. Never put off repairs. Call a professional right away if you notice an issue like a snapped cable or spring.
We’re Here to Help Maintain Your Garage Door!
Maintaining your garage door can feel like an overwhelming task, especially if you’ve never done it before. If you’re stressed about keeping your garage door functioning properly, don’t worry. The team at Thunder Garage Door & Locksmith Services is here to help. practicing these 5 garage door maintenance tips isn’t for everyone, Contact us today for assistance!