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Top tips for garage door maintenance
Maintenance of the garage door for your house is an often forgotten step when time comes around to do some home maintenance. But when you consider the cost of replacement and repair, it’s fairly evident that a little maintenance here and there goes a long way to save you in the long run. Plus, this doesn’t have to be make you feel like you’re in over your head. It’s actually quick and easy. Grab your toolbox, a ladder, and with only a few minutes we can keep your garage door operating in mint condition for a long while yet.
Here are the things to look out for, from safety reversing features, to door damage, chain, cracks, and more
Visually check your garage door
The first step might seem simple, but it’s the most important part of your maintenance routine. Get a good look at the garage door itself from the inside and outside. Make sure there is no visible physical damage to the door itself. Keep an eye out for:
- any sign of rusting
- loose bolts/nuts
- peeling/cracked rubber
- chipped paint
- dents or cracks
- any openings that shouldn’t be there
- the condition of the door windows (if equipped)
If you come across any of these issues, it’s important to get them taken care of as quickly as possible. If these problems are left to persist, they can eventually lead to more severe issues that would compromise the functionality and safety of your garage door. Preventative maintenance is the best kind of maintenance.
Safety above all else
There are a number of safety tests that can be performed on the garage door. Garage doors are heavy, and they are constantly moving up and down their rails. Just as with any other heavy moving object, you must consider safety too. These safety checks ensure that the garage door does not pose any threats to injure yourself or damage your belongings during its operation. Remember that if your garage door or its components are very old, they may be missing some of these safety features. In this case, it’s probably a good idea to think about a professionally done upgrade. These are the 3 crucial safety considerations for any garage door:
Door reversing on contact
Garage doors must come with a physical sensor that is able to determine if the door has made contact with an object before it has had a chance to fully close. To test this, find a solid object, like a 2×4 block of wood, to place underneath the door. Make sure the object doesn’t block the photocells (the little cameras pointing at each other at the bottom of your door). We’ll test those separately in the next step. For now, simply press the button to close your garage door. Once the door makes contact with the object you’ve placed under it, it must reverse direction.
Garage door photocells
The photoelectric portion of your garage door safety, also known as the photocell beams or sensors, are the 2 camera shaped sensors pointing towards each other at the bottom of your garage door. If you don’t see these, stop right here and contact a [professional technician]. One of these will send an invisible infrared beam towards the other. This beam is interrupted when something is placed between the two sensors. If this happens during the operation of your garage door, the door will immediately open to prevent any potential damage to the object under it. We can test this one by first making sure that the sensors are aligned towards each other and any light indicator on them shows that they are correctly set up. Next, press the button to close your garage door, and wave something between the sensors as it is closing. The door should reverse direction once the beam is interrupted.
Balance the door
The steps here are pretty straightforward. First, close your door, and then pull on the release rope to disconnect your door from the chain. Now simply raise the garage door to about the midway point and let go. The door should be able to maintain its position using the springs alone and not fall. Now raise the door to fully open. The door should rise a little and continue to remain open. As you perform these steps, make sure the door is not overly difficult to move, and that there is no scraping or scratching sounds. For a demonstration of this process, check the video below.
Replace the batteries
Both your garage door remote and the wall mountain garage door code opener will be powered by batteries. If you find that the remote control operation is beginning to fade and you need to be closer than usual to open your door, if your code opener is functioning unreliably, it’s probably time for a change of batteries. Simply unscrew and/or pull open the battery housing, check for the correct battery type, and replace the batteries to restore functionality.
Lubricate the moving parts
Garage door operation involves the use of a chain or belt, and wheels within the rails on either side. These moving parts are under constant stress, wear from movement, and heat. To help them function longer and prevent potential damage, it is recommended to lubricate these parts. Most often, a silicone based lubricant, white grease, or WD-40 application once a year, or twice in areas with more extreme weather will do the trick. There are also specialized lubricants available at department stores for specific garage door equipment. If you are unsure, contact us for guidance for your specific needs.
Clean your door
Once you are through with the basic maintenance for your garage door, make sure to give it a good rinse. This is especially important in areas with more extreme weather, like high temperatures, snow buildup, or freezing temperatures. In these climates for example, the combination of road salt, sand, and cold temperatures will contribute to damaging your garage door. Giving the door a quick rinse and scrub will go a long way in preventing future damage build up potentially affecting the functionality of your garage door.
Maintenance requiring a professional
Some garage door service work needs to be done by a certified technician as a courtesy to your safety and wellbeing. For instance, garage door springs are under extreme amounts of tension and pose a huge safety concern. Maintaining the adjustment of the chain/belt or the adjustment of the speed of your garage door’s opening and closing is also best suited to the hands of our professional staff. Because these service items can be hazardous, or potentially impede on the capability of your garage door, we strongly recommend that they be completed using our friendly and knowledgeable staff for an affordable price, and none of the hassle.
For more, be sure to check out our other articles, or head over to our contact page.
1 comment
It really helped when you talked about keeping your garage door in good shape by lubricating its moving parts to increase their lifespan. Next week, we’re moving to another house with its own car garage, so since we’ve always lived in apartments, we’ll carefully read your tips about garage door maintenance. Thanks for the insight on preventing potential damage to your garage door due to its regular wear and tear.