Professionals Reveal the Top 5 Tips for Maintaining Your Garage Door
Garage doors are a huge investment for any homeowner. Not only do they provide security and privacy for your garage, but they also add to the overall curb appeal of your home. That’s why it’s important to properly maintain your garage door so that it continues to function properly and look good for years to come. Unfortunately, garage door maintenance is something that a lot of people don’t think about until it’s too late. And by then, they’re dealing with a costly repair bill. But proper garage door maintenance can prevent most of those expensive repairs from happening in the first place. In this blog post, we will go over the top five garage door maintenance tips. We’ll also explain why it’s important to perform these tasks on a regular basis, and how hiring a professional to inspect your garage door can further help you avoid costly problems in the future.
1. Perform a Visual Inspection
The technicians at Trusty Garage Doors recommend that you regularly check your garage door and its parts for any signs of damage or wear. This can include looking for any loose parts, cracks, or chips in the garage door opener, as well as checking for any rust spots on the garage door itself. If you find any issues with your garage door upon your visual inspection, it’s crucial to call a professional to come out and have it repaired as soon as possible. The sooner the problem is addressed, the better chance you will have at avoiding costly repairs.
While there are a few parts that can be maintained or fixed by an avid DIY-er, there are some areas we recommend leaving only to a professional. Any issues with the cables or springs should be left to a trained technician to avoid serious injury.
2. Lubricate the Garage Door Parts
Garage doors have many moving parts. Whether it be the springs, rollers, tracks, hinges, or even the chain, it is crucial that you keep these parts lubricated to prevent rust and wear, and to allow smooth operation. We recommend that you first free the components of any dirt or debris before lubricating the parts to ensure the best performance. Then, lubricate all the moving parts at least once a year with a silicone-based lubricant. Despite the common misconception, you should not use WD-40. The “WD” in WD-40 stands for “water displacement” which acts more as a cleaner and less of a lubrication.
3. Check the Garage Door Balance
An unbalanced garage door can make it difficult to open and close, adding extra stress to the door opener which often leads to further damage down the road. That’s why it’s important to check your garage door’s balance at least once a year. To do this, disconnect your garage door from the garage door opener and manually open it to see how it moves. If your garage door is unbalanced, you won’t be able to open it easily or smoothly. If this is the case, you should have a professional garage door repair technician come and fix the issue.
4. Test the Safety Features
Garage doors are equipped with several safety features that are designed to keep people and property safe. It’s important to test these features every six months to make sure they’re still working properly. This includes testing the reverse feature on the garage door opener, as well as checking the tension release system (if your garage door has one).
Testing your garage door’s reverse feature is simple. Put an object, such as a piece of wood or tennis shoe, at the center of your garage door opening and try closing the garage door. As the garage door is closing, the sensors should detect the object and reverse direction before making contact with the object. If the garage door attempts to shut on the object, it is important that the sensors are reconfigured for safety reasons. Reconfiguration instructions can be found in your garage door manual, or a professional garage door repair technician can do this for you.
5. Hire a Professional to Perform an Inspection
In addition to performing regular maintenance tasks on your own, having a professional garage repair technician inspect your garage door will increase your chances that potential problems are detected before they become too costly. A garage door professional also has a trained eye to check for any worn or damaged parts, as well as inspect the garage door opener and other components of your garage door to help extend the life of your garage door. We recommend that you hire a professional to check out your garage door once a year for the best results.
Garage Door Service and Repair in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area
With proper care and maintenance, you’ll be sure to get the most out of your garage door system for years to come. Remember, although it’s important to perform regular garage door maintenance yourself, it’s also wise to have a professional inspect it too. Doing so can help you avoid costly repairs down the road and keep your garage door in top condition. The trusted technicians at Trusty Garage Doors are available 24/7 – Call us today and your repairs will be taken care of right away.