You use your garage door every day, but how well do you take care of it? For being such a major moving part in your home, your garage door deserves some TLC. Keep reading to learn how to properly fix and maintain them in order to ensure that you have the best garage doors for your home.
Proper Maintenance for the Best Garage Doors
Whether your garage door is a plain Jane or you want to give it an upgrade, every garage door needs proper maintenance. Take proper care of the garage door and opener so that it gives you safe access that you can count on.
To extend the life of your garage door and opener, it’s recommended to check and test the system on a monthly basis. Basic maintenance includes inspecting the various parts of the garage door for signs of wear. Also, ensure that the door is lubricated and balanced.
If garage doors aren’t exactly your thing, you might be wondering how you do all that. Don’t worry – our step-by-step guide will show you how to maintain the best garage doors. And if DIY, in general, isn’t for you, don’t hesitate to call a professional service, like Capital City Garage Doors.
1. Test the Garage Door for Balance
When checking your garage door for balance, start by making sure the door is closed. Then, pull the release handle. This allows for manual operation.
Lift the door about three feet above the ground. Check if it stays open or falls shut.
If the door stays open, it is properly balanced. If it does not, contact the best garage doors company in town to get it adjusted.
2. Lubricate the Rollers, Bearings, and Chains
All moving parts of the garage door should be lubricated regularly. Moving parts include rollers, bearings, hinges, chains, and springs.
Start by placing a drop of engine oil on each roller. This pulls the oil onto the bearings as they move.
To keep your system from getting jammed, lightly lubricate the door’s hinges and springs. Use a silicone lubricant for the hinges, springs, and chains. However, do not apply the silicone lubricant to plastic parts.
3. Clean the Tracks
Prevent a malfunctioning garage door by regularly inspecting the springs, tracks, and other hardware on your garage door. Look at the tracks each month and clean out any debris that may be obstructing the rollers.
Check that the tracks are aligned as well. If they are not parallel with each other, loosen the bolts in the mounts and straighten the tracks.
4. Adjust the Opener’s Sensitivity
Most garage door openers can be adjusted for sensitivity. Place a 2-by-4 under the garage door and shut it to check the force of closing. The sensitivity is appropriate if the door bounces back up when it hits the wood.
If the door doesn’t bounce back up, the garage door opener may have a setting that allows you to reduce the force.
Professional Maintenance
Let a professional help you have the best garage doors that you can rely on! If garage door service isn’t for you, a professional can help you with repair, getting a new garage door, and other services. Don’t hesitate to call for help!