Regular Maintenance to Ensure Long Term Operation

Just like with other things in your home that you keep clean and maintain, your garage door shouldn’t be exempt from regular check ups. Why? It’s a big piece of machinery with lots of moving parts that can rust, move from their proper place, and show signs of general wear and tear after years of lifting a heavy door thousands of times.

A good garage door will last you many years (but it won’t last forever, unfortunately). Here are some easy ways to maintain your garage door and ensure it lasts as long as possible.

 

1.  Stop, look, & listen.

The simplest way to prevent a problem from getting worse or happening in the first place is to keep your eyes and ears open whenever the garage door is opening or closing.

Instead of hitting the garage door button as you walk into the house at the end of a day, pause and watch the door close. Keep an eye on whether or not the door is moving smoothly or if it looks like it’s struggling to move. Listen for grinding and scraping noises.

If you hear or see something out of the ordinary, then your garage door is not functioning properly and needs to be checked for damage or rusty, old parts.

 

2.  Regularly examine and tighten the bolts of your garage door system.

The bolts will eventually loosen over time, after years of use, which can lead to problems down the road if left unchecked. You can take care of this problem yourself with consistent maintenance.

 

3.  Keep all components lubricated.

While you’re at it, keep your garage door and all parts properly lubricated to extend its life. Just be careful to use the perfect amount – too much lubrication can cause a build up and attract dust and debris.

 

4.  Test your door’s balance.

Another important maintenance tip is to test the balance of your garage door from time to time. This ensures that it is in balance, not making your opener work harder than it needs to, and not in need of repair.

Disconnect the opener by pulling the release handle, then open the door manually halfway and let go. The door should be able to stay open at that halfway position. If it doesn’t stay put, then the counterweight system is out of balance and you should call a professional to adjust it.

Also, don’t forget to test the auto-reverse safety feature of your opener, which tells the door to immediately open back up if it comes in contact with something while closing. This can prevent serious accidents from happening in the future so make sure that your opener has this feature and is using it properly. If it doesn’t, it might be a good idea to upgrade your garage door opener.

 

5.  Keep it clean.

This is another simple and easy way to keep your door running properly for years to come; keep it clean.

Clear the tracks of dirty, dust, and any build up with soap and water and a rag regularly to ensure nothing prevents the moving parts from doing their job smoothly. Wash your doors regularly, repair rust spots as soon as you find them, and keep an eye out for chipped or peeling paints or warped wood from water damage. And to ensure the life of the garage door itself, maintain the doors finish to prevent rust, cracking, and warping.

 

6.  Schedule annual inspections.

The previous tips are for doing regular maintenance yourself. However, we also recommend scheduling yearly safety and maintenance inspections to stay on top of any issues you can’t see or fix at home.

Develop a relationship with a reputable and local garage door company so you have someone you trust to regularly maintain your garage door and can call anytime if there is ever a problem.

From Precision Garage Door, we hope you find these tips useful and look forward to hearing from you for any and all of your garage door needs.

We provide professional maintenance and repairs for all major garage door & opener brands. Give us a call if you need help with your garage door!

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