If you own a home, chances are you also have a garage door. Over time, a garage door can become rickety and unbalanced. This can cause difficulty in opening and closing the door, which can be dangerous if your car is inside. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do to check the balance of your door and keep it in good working order.
Check the balance of your garage door.
Check the operation of your door. Does it work properly? Is the door level when closed? When open? If not, check whether the springs or cables need to be adjusted.
Check that the door is balanced. This means that when you push it up, there is an equal amount of force pulling down on each side of the garage door. It could also mean having too much weight in front of or behind a spring as well as not enough tension on either side of it. If this happens often then you should adjust your springs and cables accordingly so they match up with each other instead of working independently from one another (which can cause damage).
Ensure proper garage door weatherstripping.
- Weatherstripping can be replaced. If your garage door is not closing properly, or if the weatherstripping around the bottom of your door has deteriorated, it may be time to replace it. If you’re not sure what kind of weatherstripping you currently have, or how to replace it, contact a professional for help with this task.
- Weathersealing can be cleaned and inspected for damage. When cleaning your garage door weathersealing, use warm water and mild soap (no bleach) to remove dirt and grime from both sides of the sealant. For inspection purposes only—not replacement!—use an ice pick or awl to poke at any areas where there are cracks in the rubberized sealant; if any holes appear, they should be patched with silicone caulk before being re-installed onto the frame of your garage door opener motor housing unit (GDO).
Clean and lubricate the garage door tracks.
Next, it’s time to clean and lubricate the garage door tracks. This is something you should do every six months or so—more frequently if you live in an area with lots of precipitation or snow.
Garage door tracks get dirty over time, which can cause your garage door to grind when it opens or close. The best way to avoid this problem is by giving them a thorough cleaning with a power washer every once in awhile. However, if you don’t have access to one of those handy tools (or if it’s just too cold outside), there are still things that can be done:
- Use an extension pole with a brush attachment on your vacuum cleaner and go over all of the tracks inside and out, making sure that any debris gets removed from both sides of each track as well as from between them.
- Apply lubricant designed for garage doors—you don’t have to use much; just enough will spread out while rolling along the metal surfaces like butter on hot toast! And remember: always apply lubricant before rolling up/down your door(s).
Clean and inspection the garage door hinges, rollers, and other hardware.
- Clean and inspection the door hinges, rollers, and other hardware.
- Check for loose screws or bolts on your garage door track. Tighten them if necessary to ensure proper operation of safety sensors and springs.
- Inspect the tracks for visible wear or damage that could lead to problems later on down the road. If you see any signs of weakness, have a professional come out and replace it before anything else happens!
Inspect the condition of the garage door springs.
Inspect the condition of the springs.
- Check for rust, wear and tear, or broken springs. If you find any signs of damage or wear, you must replace them. Old springs can also be replaced with new ones if they are in poor shape.
- If you find no damage to your garage door springs, then simply lubricate them with WD-40 to make them work smoother and last longer!
Takeaway:
The takeaway from this section is that you should be checking for rust, wear, damage, corrosion and cracks. With a little bit of diligence, you can make sure your garage door lasts longer than expected.
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that not all garage doors have the same kind of maintenance needs, so consult your owner’s manual for more information about how often you should inspect and clean your door. Some owners may need to make more frequent visits than others depending on how much use their garage gets each day. If you find yourself needing more frequent maintenance, consider hiring a professional for help!