8 Ways to Maintain Your Garage Door
Your garage door is just as important to your house as your roof and windows but why is it so few people get it maintained?
Most homeowners check their roof annually for loose tiles or missing slates, and it is advised to examine your windows every year in case the frame cracks and water leaks through.
However, when it comes to garage door maintenance too many people are missing it out altogether. A recent survey revealed that 47% have never had their garage door serviced and 34% admitted that no-one has ever personally tested the safety features of the garage door.
This is extremely worrying given that the garage door offers another form of access to the home and a broken garage door can be a huge inconvenience. In some cases, it is dangerous.
There are some checks that you can easily perform yourself to ensure the safe and efficient operation of your garage door. Here are 8 ways to maintain your door properly:
1. Visual inspection
When the door is closed, look over the arms, springs, cables, hinges and rollers for visible signs of wear and tear. Are any of the cables fraying? Has anything become loose? If anything looks worn call in your local garage door specialist.
2. Oil the parts
This is the most basic of maintenance tasks. It keeps the door running smoothly and stops the door creaking and squeaking. Apply a small amount of silicone spray lubricant to the door hinges, rollers, pivot points and the lock.
Just doing this can extend the life of your garage door by years.
If your garage door has an opener such as a chain or drive screw, lubricate this too.
3. Clean the garage door track
Instead of lubricating the track, it just needs cleaning with a damp cloth and then spray a solvent like WD-40 on the track as it is a great grease cutter.
4. Check that the system is balanced
Before you do anything, make sure that the garage door is closed and the automatic opener system is disconnected. Now lift the door manually- it should remain fully open and lift with ease. If it’s difficult to open, the door may be out of balance and should be serviced by a professional.
5. Perform a reversing mechanism test
If your door is equipped with an automatic opener system, you need to check the reversing mechanism. When the door is open, place something in the centre on the floor where the garage door would normally touch. It can be anything like a block of wood or a cardboard box.
Activate the door opener’s transmitter and when the door hits the object it should automatically reverse.
6. Perform a photocell test
If your door is equipped with an automatic opener that has a photocell safety system, operate the door in the close direction and then wave an object e.g. a broom or a tennis racquet in front of the door’s photo eyes. The object should break the beam and reverse the door.
If it doesn’t, close the door and clean the photo eyes with a dry, soft cloth. Make sure the photo eyes are aligned accordingly.
7. Exterior check
Give the outside of the door a clean with a soft cloth or sponge. Simply rinse with a bucket of water or a hose and if your door is made out of wood, examine the paintwork to see if it needs to be re-stained.
8. Check the weather seals
Weather seals can help make your garage more eco-friendly and save money on your energy bills. If you haven’t already, install some weather seals to the bottom edge of the door.
If you perform any of these checks and something appears to be wrong, we advise you to get it examined by a professional. Never stand or walk under a moving door, and never allow your kids to play with or use the garage door opener controls.
Alternatively, if there is anything you are unsure about, leave it alone and hire a trained technician to inspect the garage door for you. You can pay for an annual service for a small fee and usually if there are any small problems, they will fix them there and then.
Still not sure? Call us today on 01942 311 110 for expert advice on looking after your garage door correctly.
