How to Maintain Your Garage Door

Did you know your garage door goes up and down about 1500 times a year? That’s a lot of ups and downs and a lot of wear and tear, which makes maintenance all the more important. Garage doors are expensive but they tend to last a couple of decades or more if you take care of them. Keep reading to learn some of the top tips you can use to maintain a garage door so it lasts as long as possible.

Keep an Eye and Ear on the Door

When you close and open the garage door, make sure to listen for any odd noises and to watch for any kinks in its movement. It should run fairly smoothly in its tracks. If you hear any loud grinding, scraping or banging noises, stop the garage door from moving any further and examine where the noise was coming from. Loud noises coming from a garage door often indicate worn-out parts that can easily be replaced if you replace them before they damage any other pieces. If you notice jerky movements, there’s probably an issue with one of the pulleys, cables or springs. One of these pieces is usually damaged or out of place when the door won’t go up and down smoothly.

Inspect the Clean the Tracks Regularly

Garage doors don’t require a whole lot of your attention, but you do need to clean the tracks regularly. The tracks should always appear perfectly straight and perpendicular to the floor. To clean the tracks, you’ll want to use carburetor cleaner. The goal is to remove any dirt and debris off the tracks. Just make sure you don’t use a lubricant of any kind to clean the tracks as this can cause slipperiness. When the garage door goes up and down on slippery tracks, it can dislodge the rollers.

Tighten the Door’s Hardware

Because garage doors produce a lot of vibration as they go up and down, this can result in its regular movements causing its parts to loosen over time. To ensure all bolts, rollers and hinges are tight like they should be, you can examine and tighten them with a socket wrench once every couple of months.

Inspect the Rollers

The rollers on the garage door that run along the tracks will become damaged over time by cracking or chipping. You can inspect and replace one at a time as they need it, but if more than a couple need to be replaced at any time, it’s usually best to contact a professional garage repair company to perform the task.

Always Test Safety Features

Another great way to keep the garage door working as it should is to test its safety features on a regular basis. It’s imperative to test the pressure sensor on the door as well as its photoelectric system. With both of these safety features working as they should, you will not only extend the longevity of the door but also rest easier knowing the door will freeze if something was to obstruct its path; this greatly reduces the risk of injury or damage to the object or person in the obstruction path of the door.