Garage doors are an essential component in homes. They not only protect the items stored in your garage but also add to your home’s protection plan. You must maintain your garage door well, as buying a new one can cost you a fortune. You can contact professionals like Local Garage Door Pros to maintain your garage doors and repair any damaged parts.
Caring for your garage doors can help extend their lifespan. Below are tips on how you can extend your garage door’s life:
Understand Your Door’s Structure
You should be aware of how your garage door is built and operates. Try to understand how the door opens. Familiarize yourself with its different parts. The doors will operate differently, depending on how they open. The mechanism comprises a cable attached to the emergency release lever and connected to the door, a motor, electronic eye safety sensors, and wall-mounted openers. Knowing these parts and how they work will help you identify any problems and fix them.
Read the Owners’ Manual Properly
One of the best ways to identify issues and resolve your garage door problems is to read the owners’ manual in detail. Every manufacturer will create the door differently. You will be able to learn about the door and its parts when you read the manual carefully and will be able to keep it functioning well for years.
Inspect the Doors Thoroughly
Garage doors can get damaged from time to time. Inspect your doors regularly. Watch out for moisture and pests. Check for jerky movements and unusual sounds. Ideally, you should check the doors at least once a month. This way, you can spot any potential problems or issues and get them fixed in time.
Clean the Door Panels Regularly
Door panels can get dirty over time. Not only does this look bad, but it can also lead to other problems. For instance, too much dirt accumulation can affect the opener sensors and rust the metal. Lowering and raising the door on the dirty panels will make the tracks erode faster due to the additional friction.
Lubrication
The proper functioning of a garage door is dependent on its rollers, hinges, and springs. You must clean and lubricate these parts at least two times a year. Wipe the rollers and hinges with a clean damp cloth. Dry it immediately with a lint-free fabric. Once dry, you can apply a thin layer of lubricant to the parts. Ensure the parts are cleaned before lubricating them. They will not work smoothly if you apply the lubricant on dirty parts.
Check the Insulation and Weather Stripping
The rubber band located below your door and in between the slats is called weather-stripping. It helps with the door’s normal functioning. It also protects items in your garage and blocks elements like rain and snow from entering it. If the weather-stripping is not cleaned regularly, the rubber will degrade because of dirt and debris. You can use a clean cloth to clean the weather-stripping once in two months and apply a silicon lubricant after cleaning it. Garage doors also require caulking around the outer part of the door frame. The rubber weather-stripping below the door becomes broken or brittle. You can remove it and replace it with new stripping.
For doors that have insulation from the inside, you will need to replace them once they become damaged or loose. Avoid using petroleum-based products for lubrication. They will degrade the weather stripping and wear it out. Ensure you replace the weather stripping once in a few years. You can get weather stripping kits at home improvement and hardware stores.
Test the Door for Balance
Garage doors can lose their balance causing premature damage. Pull the red release handle and open the door manually till it opens halfway. The door should ideally be in its place when you leave it. If there is any problem with the balance or door springs, the door will fall a few inches toward one or both sides. Check the safety features of your door and opener. Inspect the automatic reverse opening mechanism to ensure the safety sensors are responding correctly. A door with balance issues is unsafe. It will create additional stress on the opener motor reducing its lifespan.
Watch Out for Strange Noises
A well-functioning garage door is usually quiet when you operate it. You will notice scratching and scraping noises when opening or closing the door if there are issues with the pulleys, springs, or cables. Ensure these components are symmetrical. If you are not able to check the components and identify any problems, you can contact professionals like Local Garage Door Pros to check your doors. They offer garage door repair services and can help you with broken springs and cables, opener repairs, and garage door track repairs.
Wash the Door Occasionally
Wash your roller door at least once a month with clean water. This will help eliminate any dirt and dust build-up in the door and keep its track clean as well. Ensure you don’t touch the automatic opener when washing to avoid the risk of getting electrocuted.
Check Safety Features Regularly
This is a critical step in your garage door maintenance. The safety features in your door should work correctly at all times. If your door has a photocell safety system, place an object below the door and close it. If the safety feature works properly, the door will detect the object using the laser light and back up without touching it. If this doesn’t happen, you may have to replace the entire door.
Replace Damaged Parts Immediately
Don’t wait too long to replace damaged parts. A garage door with damaged components is a danger to everyone. Even small issues can escalate to large problems if not corrected immediately.
Caring for your garage door and maintaining it regularly will benefit you in the long run. Not only will your door last long, but you will also save time and money. If well-maintained, garage doors may sometimes even last longer than 15 years.