The Best Tips For Maintaining Your Garage Door
Imagine this scenario: you’re rushing around your home on a regular busy morning trying to get ready for your day. You’ve made it just under the wire to get everything prepared and leave on time. As you’re getting ready to pull out of your driveway, your garage door makes a weird noise and nothing happens. You’re stuck in your garage because something has broken, which can put a stop to your day. The following tips on maintaining your garage door can help prevent this situation from happening to you.
Take care of a noisy garage door
Your garage door is probably making a lot of racket if it’s not lubricated enough. Your first instinct may be to reach for a can of WD-40, but this is a short-term lubricant and won’t stand up to a lot of use. This means you have to do this step over again. A long-term lubricant, such as silicone or lithium, is the right choice. You’ll want to apply it to the metal parts, such as hinges, rollers, and chains. To be safe, you can hire a garage door company to help you.
Watch out for roller issues
You may find that your track doesn’t need lubrication but has too much. Improperly applying lubricants can be an issue that causes problems with your garage door opening and closing. Lubricants that are misused can attract dust and dirt into the track which can cause problems with the entire system. It’s essential to clean your track with a damp cloth regularly. However, you may find that you need to use a solvent metal cleaner to pick up any sticky residue that’s left behind. Again, this step may be better left to a professional.
Keep the weather out
The weather seals on the sides and bottom of your garage door are made out of plastic or soft rubber. They are perfect for keeping the weather out because they create a flexible barrier that blocks air and water. But, these materials can become worn and will no longer do their job well. Weather seals last anywhere from 5 to 10 years depending on your local climate. Replace them when they no longer work. It can be helpful to cut a piece of your weather seal to match it up to the new strip you get.
Look for garage door opener issues
It’s not just the garage door that can cause you problems. Sometimes the openers can fail. Your first option to fix this type of issue is to change out the batteries. But if that doesn’t work, a reset may be required. This often means that you have to unplug your unit, plug it back in, and use your garage door opener. You’ll want to check on the instructions for your particular garage door unit to get the exact routine to reset your opener.
Fix any sensor problems
Garage door sensors allow the system to know when the door is up or down and when there is an obstruction. If the door is blocked by a person or animal and the sensors are faulty, this can be a dangerous situation. The sensors, located on either side of the bottom of the door, can be bumped or misaligned. Fixing this should only require a small push. You should always test them by placing your hand in front of the beam and trying to use the door.
Safety should be your main priority
There are a few things that you should keep in mind to protect your safety when handling these preventative maintenance tips. One is that you’ll want to unplug your garage door opener and put away the controls preventing it from coming on while you’re working. You’ll want to add a clamp to the roller tracks to prevent the rollers from coming down as well. Just place pliers or other clamps below the rollers to stop them from moving. If you’re removing the lift cables, be sure that you’ve gotten all of the tension out of the door spring. Not doing so can result in deep cuts and other injuries. Finally, you don’t want to do anything with overhead torsion springs. These springs are strictly for professionals to work on as they are extremely dangerous to you and your home.
Call in the professionals
As with any home maintenance project, there can come a time when a simple task turns into one that’s more complicated. It is often in your best interest to look for expert help. Overhead torsion spring maintenance, balancing the garage door, and emergency reversal issues should all be left to a professional.
Sometimes, even with following these tips, your garage door may end up having an issue. That’s where the professionals at Integrity Overhead Door can help. Call us at (806) 418-5237 or Contact Us via email to learn more about our services. We handle repairs and replacements for Commercial/Industrial and Residential doors.