Maintenance Tips to Keep Your Garage Door Moving!

Did you know your garage Door is the largest piece of moving equipment in your home? Many of us use our garage doors as our main point of entry today. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most overlooked items in your home in terms of maintenance.

When is the last time you had your door professionally maintained? For most people the answer is never. The average garage door will open and close nearly 3,000 times over the course of a year! A poorly maintained garage door can result in complete failure of the operating system, resulting in expensive repairs, cars stuck inside, property damage and even personal injury!

Here’s some tips to keep your door working!

OBSERVE

The most important thing you can do to your door is to watch it. Observe your door during operation. Is it smooth or is it jerky? Does it rattle and screech or is it quiet? Does it come to an easy halt, or does it slam to the floor? Are your springs in one piece? Are the rollers broken, dragging  or in proper working condition?

LUBRICATE

One of the easiest, and most important items you can do, is to lubricate your door! It takes just a few minutes and makes a huge difference in operation. Use a white lithium grease on your operator rail and a garage door spray lubricant on the doors moving parts. Coat the springs, hinges and tracks with a light lubricant designed specifically for garage door applications. This should be done at least twice a year.

TIGHTEN HARDWARE

Your door has many nuts, bolts and screws on it that rattle loose over time. Check and tighten each one of these to prevent any unnecessary noises, or worse yet, parts failure. Not to mention the little screws can fall out of your door and puncture a bike or car tire.

REPLACE ROLLERS

Your rollers need to be inspected a minimum of twice a year. Look for broken bearings, flat marks on the wheels, and chipped or cracked spots. Any damage to the roller should warrant immediate replacement. It only takes one roller to fail to cause an entire door to come off its tracks and cause major problems.

TEST THE BALANCE

Your garage door springs are what makes lifting your door so easy. A properly balanced door is CRUCIAL to your door’s operation. Not only could failing springs result in door problems, but your door could come crashing down, crushing anything in its way.

With your door down, disengage it from the operator with the emergency cord. Lift your door to the half way point and let go. If it stays, then lift it all the way up. If it stays at both points, then your balance is in good condition. If your door falls at either position, call a professional immediately as your door may need to have its springs adjusted, or replaced completely.

CHECK YOUR CABLES

With your door down, visually inspect the cables on both sides. Do not handle them as they are under a great amount of tension that can cause physical harm. Look for fraying or broken cables. If you find anything suspicious, call a professional immediately. If a cable breaks, the entire garage door system will fail, and can cause a great amount of damage.

These are just some of the maintenance tips to keep your door in proper working condition. Most door failures are a result of a lack of maintaining the door system, and they will, without a doubt, fail at the most inopportune time possible.

If you do not have time, or would like a professional to inspect and maintain your door for you, give us a call and we can send a Master Technician out today.

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