We take our garage doors for granted and rarely pay attention to them unless they do not function as expected. However, you can ensure that they will have a long service life and function faultlessly if you take the trouble to inspect them twice a year and carry out routine maintenance. If you neglect your garage door, it may stop functioning. Some things you can do to avoid a steep repair bill:
Scrutinize the Garage Door Operation
A well-maintained garage door moves up and down almost noiselessly and smoothly. If you spot the garage door moving in jerks and producing scraping or grating noises, you can be sure it needs maintenance. The usual culprits are misaligned springs, cables, and pulleys that need minor adjustments to get them working smoothly.
Clear and Clean the Tracks
The garage door may not be able to move smoothly if dirt and debris are clogging the tracks. Cleaning them and ensuring they are perfectly vertical will make the door move up and down smoothly. Cleaning and adjusting the tracks will stave off problems for a long time, but you will need to call in reportable garage door experts at Lewis River Doors for a major track alignment job.
Tighten the Door Hardware
With the garage door moving up and down several hundred times each year, the door and track hardware can become loose due to the motion and vibration. You should inspect the fasteners fixing the door opener unit to the frame and the brackets that hold the tracks to the wall. You can use a socket wrench to tighten the bolts that have worked loose.
Inspect the Rollers
Inspect rollers on the edges of the garage door every six months. If you find any cracked, chipped, or worn out, you should replace them. Be careful not to remove the roller brackets on the bottom of each side of the door since they are attached to the lifting cables and are under tension. According to Forbes, garage door tension springs can inflict serious injury if they snap since they are tightly wound.
Oil the Moving Parts
Lubricating the various moving parts of the garage door will make their movement smooth and reduce stress, thus extending their lives. You should spray a lubricant, preferably white lithium grease, on the hinges and rollers. Be careful not to spray excessively and wipe off the excess, as the grease can attract dust and dirt. You can loosen any stuck rollers or hinges by spraying a penetrating solution and wiping them clean before applying the lubricant. You should also apply a lubricant on the pulleys and bearings in the door openers.
Conclusion
In addition to the above, you should also check the health of the pulleys, cables, and springs used to lift the garage door. Since repairing them is hazardous, you should call a professional if you notice any damage. Test the door balance to ensure it is not under unnecessary stress that can shorten its life. You should also check that the auto-reverse feature is working properly by placing a board on the ground, which the door should detect upon coming in contact and roll up again.
