A garage door is an important device and that is why it is necessary to conduct regular maintenance on the door itself and all the related moving parts. Your garage door maintenance checklist is here to help you keep your garage door in good condition all year long.
Garage Door Preventative Maintenance
Check your door for unusual sights and sounds
A properly functioning garage door should be rather quiet as it moves along its tracks.
There are issues with your door when you notice jerky motions or hear a scraping noise.
Inspect the cables, pulleys, and strings and ensure they are symmetrical.
Clear your tracks of debris
It is good practice to regularly check your garage door tracks and ensure they are rust-free and there are no impediments along the track.
It is also important to look for breaks, cracks, and bends.
The homeowner can make minor track adjustments but should any major work be needed it is important to hire a professional garage door repair person.
Tighten the hardware
Since our garage doors open and close hundreds of times each year, constant use is bound to loosen the system.
Inspect the brackets fastening the tracks to the roof and walls and use a socket wrench to tighten any loose screws you encounter along the way.
Review your lift cables
It is encouraged to regularly inspect the cables on your garage door for evidence of fraying, especially near the roller.
These cables are under a significant amount of tension in order to support the weight of your garage door – if you see any signs of damage it is best to call a professional for assistance as a garage door can weigh nearly 500 pounds.
Lubricate the moving parts
Good practice in garage door maintenance is to keep all moving parts – tracks, hinges, rollers, and springs – adequately lubricated.
This not only helps to reduce stress on the system but will prolong the lifespan of your garage door. If you hear any screeching noises you know it’s time to bust out the lubricant.
Open and close the door a couple of times after you apply the lubrication in order to ensure it spreads evenly throughout the parts and uses a clean cloth to wipe away the remainder.
Inspect the door’s balance
You can test your door’s balance by tugging on the release handle of the automatic opener and manually opening the door halfway. A properly balanced door will remain in its place without your assistance.
Test your safety features
Automatic garage door openers are required by code to have an auto-reverse function that will kick in and reverse the movement of the door if anything is detected in its path. A pressure sensor or pair of photocells on either side of the door work to activate the system.
You can test the system with an old piece of wood – lay it flat on the floor in the door’s path. When the door closes and touches the wood, it should reverse and return to its open position. You can test the photocell bypassing your leg infant of the sensor as your door closes.
Check the rollers
Garage door rollers should be replaced every 5-7 years as they can get chipped or crack over time. The homeowner can replace most rollers simply by taking off the brackets and anchoring them to the door.
However, the bottom roller on each side of your door is attached to lift cables, which are under massive tension and should only be removed by a professional.
Repair or replace the weatherstripping
Along the bottom of the garage door sits your weatherstripping – a strip of rubber that helps keep snow, rain, water, dust, dirt and anything else Mother Nature has in store. Ensure that the rubber is in good shape as this will prolong the life of your door. There may also be stripping along the sides of your door. Should you need to replace any, it is necessary to check the manufacturer of the door and research which replacement weatherstripping you will need.
Clean and paint the door
When doing your garage door preventative maintenance inspections, you should also check on the door itself. Steel doors can develop rust spots that you’ll need to sand away before priming and painting. Wood doors can warp with water damage – pay close attention should you have one. Scrape off any chipped and peeling paint, sand, and slap on a fresh coat of paint.
These garage door maintenance tips will keep your door and system in working order for years. But when the inevitable time comes to call a professional, Fix it Right Garage Doors is here to help!
