Your garage door operates at least two cycles per day. So, its parts are not free from damage caused by wear and tear. Furthermore, the more traffic a garage door experiences, the sooner it will fail.
Damages within the garage door system are not always evident. So, garage door experts believe you should conduct regular garage door maintenance.
To guide you, listed below are some garage door maintenance tips from experts at Garage Door Repair Naperville that you could follow.
Inspect Garage Door Springs and Cables
Garage door springs provide the necessary garage door balance and assist the cables in lifting the garage door. Moreover, once your garage door spring breaks, the cables can act as a safety measure against spring recoil.
A broken garage door spring and cable can negatively affect the garage door’s mechanism. So here are some warning signs to look for:
- The garage door moves in an unbalanced manner.
- The garage door cables are dangling or loose.
- The garage door opens or closes too slow or fast, respectively.
- You can hear squeaky noises upon the door’s movement.
- You struggle to lift the garage door manually since it is too heavy.
As presented above, these are some of the inspections you can do to know if your garage door has a broken garage door spring or cable.
A broken garage door spring needs spring replacement. Meanwhile, loose and dangling cables require garage door cable repair.
Clean Debris from the Garage Door Tracks
Your garage door has tracks installed on each side of the garage door. The tracks serve as the passageway of the rollers to help lift or lower the garage door smoothly.
However, the tracks are susceptible to grease, grime, and dirt accumulation since they have some free space. The debris build-up can lead to a stuck garage door. So, you should clean your tracks at least every three months. You can use an old toothbrush, a clean cloth, and a spray disc brake cleaner to remove grease, grime, and dirt.
Lubricate Moving Parts and Hinges
Lubricating the garage door’s moving parts and hinges is a critical step in garage door maintenance. It minimizes friction and ensures smooth movement.
Moreover, experts recommend lubricating garage door rollers, springs, bearing plates, and hinges with lithium-based grease every six months.
If you don’t know how to lubricate the garage door, follow the steps below:
- Close the garage door and turn off the automatic garage door opener.
- Open your garage door manually and spray once or twice the lithium-based grease on the hinges.
- In lubricating the rollers, focus the spray on the ball bearings and wipe out excess lubricant with a cloth.
- Using a ladder, reach the top of the garage door and lubricate the garage door spring and bearing plates.
Tighten The Fasteners
Depending on the type of drive system (chain, belt, or screw), your garage door vibrates which makes some screws, bolts, and other fasteners get loose.
So, using a wrench, you should tighten loose brackets holding the tracks to the ceiling and walls. Moreover, secure the fastener attaching the garage door opener and its framing.
Test the Auto-Reverse Mechanism
Now, most garage doors have safety sensors that activate the opener’s auto-reverse mechanism. If there is an obstruction directly underneath the garage door, the garage door will stop closing.
So, it is an essential safety mechanism that can protect your car and family, especially your children. Some countries even passed laws to require garage door sensors.
As part of the garage door maintenance, you need to test the auto-reverse mechanism of your garage door. Here are some of the things you should check with your garage door sensors:
- The garage door sensors are in each other’s line of sight.
- The power indicator of the sensors is green.
- There is no dirt build-up in the lens of the sensors.
- The garage door will auto-reverse once the sensors detect obstruction under the garage door.
Conclusion
It is a fact that we use our garage doors almost every day. So as the garage door owner, it is our responsibility to ensure that it receives the best care possible.
One way to show our care is through garage door maintenance. We should conduct regular garage door maintenance to prevent garage door damage and prolong our garage door’s lifespan.
If you want a garage door that functions well, you can follow the garage door maintenance tips presented above. But if you are not confident, a garage door service provider can do garage door maintenance services for you.
