Though we tend not to give them a lot of attention, garage doors are an essential component of every home. Not only are they the largest moving part of any house, but also they also secure the largest entryway. For these reasons, it makes a lot of sense to take some simple steps toward ensuring your door’s longevity. The following 10 tips are a perfect example of how to do this.
1. Watch and listen to it
Every time your garage door goes up or down is another opportunity for you to check on how it’s working. See that it’s moving smoothly in both directions and not jerking at any point along the way. Also, keep an ear out to see if you hear any noises like scraping, clicking or anything else out of the ordinary. The entire door should move in one, smooth, balanced motion without a lot of noise.
2. Tighten your hardware
Although your garage door represents a sizeable component of your home, you need to consider all the tiny parts that make its operation possible. In short, you should look at the hardware, like the roller brackets and bolts, on a regular basis to ensure they’re still nice and tight. Fortunately, if they’re not, all it takes is a socket wrench to rectify this situation.
3. Confirm it’s balanced
If a garage door isn’t properly balanced, it can result in all kinds of problems. For one thing, your garage door opener will need to work much harder, which will only last so long before it breaks.
To check the door’s balance, disconnect the opener and then manually move the door halfway up the tracks. If your door doesn’t stay put, you have an issue with the counterweight not working correctly. Call a professional and they can fix it in no time.
4. Inspect the rollers
The rollers are an essential part of the workings of your garage door. This is all the reason you should need to check up on them twice a year and make sure they’re working properly. Most will need to be replaced after about seven years, but it could be a lot sooner if you use your garage door more often.
Rollers that are chipped, worn, or cracked need to be switched out immediately for the good of your garage door. Most people can do this on their own by removing and then installing any brackets that aren’t attached directly to the cable system.
5. Check the weatherstripping
Your garage door’s weatherstripping is essential for keeping the elements where they belong. So it makes sense to inspect this component often to ensure it’s still doing its job. If it’s not, any home improvement store will have more and installation couldn’t be easier.
6. Add lubricant
In only 10 minutes a year, you can easily provide enough lubrication to your garage door’s moving parts to ensure it operates smoothly. Lithium grease is the perfect option for the chain or screw of your garage door opener. For the overhead springs, special spray lubricant will do the trick.
7. Inspect the cable
Never go messing around with the high-tension cables responsible for lifting your garage door. They could end up killing you. However, you can inspect them to ensure they’re intact. If you find they’re not however, please call in a professional.
8. Test the auto‑reverse features
Almost all garage doors have two auto‑reverse safety mechanisms in play. One will reverse the movement of the garage door if something gets in its way. To safely test this mechanism on your own garage door, put an object where it will interrupt your door’s path and hen shut it. The garage door should come in contact with the object then immediately go the other direction.
The other measure, a photocell component, should use invisible beams to reverse the door if anything crosses their path. So, again, close the garage door and then stick your leg in the beam to ensure it works. If you don’t have a photocell component, now may be the time to look into one.
9. Clear the door’s tracks
Make sure the tracks of your garage door are free of debris. You can also use a level to check its plumb. If you need anything adjusted, though, have a professional do it.
10. Clean your garage door
The simplest thing you can do is just clean your door. Any time you wash your car, get some all-purpose cleaner and turn the hose on your garage door to ensure problems don’t occur because of common wear and tear issues.
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