Garage Doors are an essential part of each home used for various purposes. Whether you use it to protect your car from extreme weather conditions or as a storage place for gardening tools and other items, its maintenance is crucial to extend its lifespan. We regularly get calls for garage door repair services, where the expensive and unique garage doors fail to function because of the negligence of the owner.
Honestly speaking, garage door repair is fine but if you have to replace the garage door, it will overburden your budget. In this blog, we have included the top tips that will help you to have long-lasting garage doors. Let's get it started.
Tips for the Garage Door Maintenance
Regular maintenance of the garage door is crucial so you can time spot and tackle the issue with the garage door that is limiting its functionality. Here are the tips that will help you to maintain a garage door, so it lasts longer.
Regular Cleaning of the Garage Door
When garage doors are regularly in use, dust and dirt pile up on both the interior and exterior sides. The dirt limits the movement of the garage door, thus compromising its functionality. Moreover, the outdoor side of the garage door is constantly in phase with the harsh weather like strong winds or heavy showers. Both of these not only cause the dust to accumulate but also increase the risk of rusting due to the constant exposure to water content. Use a damp cloth and appropriate cleaner suggested by the manufacturer according to the door's material to remove the dirty particles and keep them clean. Occasionally, call for a professional garage door technician to thoroughly clean the door.
Lubricate the Rollers and Bearings
The moving portion of the garage doors like rollers, chain belts, and bearings are more prone to wear and tear due to friction. Therefore, the occasional application of a lubricant to these moving parts is essential to reduce friction, reduce the incidents of a stuck garage door, and keep them moving smoothly. Here again, you need to consult the garage door technicians to suggest the best lubricant to protect your garage door from damage.
Test Door Balance
An imbalanced door can result in major accidents like damaging your vehicle or valuable items, especially when you are moving something. Therefore, you need to test the balance of your garage door at least once a year to ensure that it remains stable during work. Follow these simple steps to conduct a balance test for the door.
- Shift the door settings to the manual mode
- Open the door through halfway
- Observe its movement
If you observe any creaking sound, the door gets in a slanted position, or it falls once you leave it, it's time to call for a professional to repair the garage door. Moreover, we recommend you call for the professionals to do this balancing test because an imbalanced door is a great threat if you are inexperienced in dealing with it.
Test the Safety Features of the Door
After the balance test, the next step is to inspect the security features of the garage door to ensure that they are functioning properly. Test the emergency release. If the door fails to respond, call for a repairer to evaluate and fix the issue. Moreover, test the motion sensors by keeping something under the door and giving commands to close the door. If it detects the object and stops immediately, it is good to go. Otherwise, you need to fix it as soon as possible to avoid any accidents.
Follow the Manufacturer's Guidelines
When you install a new garage door, you get a manufacturer's guideline that includes all the precautions and tips that you need to adopt while dealing with the door. If there is any issue with the garage door, first consult the manual for the solution, and then consult the manufacturers who will probably send their professionals to help you resolve the issue.
Final Words
In conclusion, regular maintenance is the key to having a durable and long-lasting garage door. Go for regular cleaning and lubricating of the moving parts so any external factor will not limit its performance. Moreover, a balance test and inspection of the security features of the door can help you to point out the issue and solve it on time. Moreover, if you figure out any problem, feel free to call out for professional assistance.
