Garage doors aren’t something that you would think about very often at your home. It just seems like the piece of house furniture that would never break. Garage doors are the biggest mechanisms in a house and depending on the quality, some garage doors can last for a lifetime with the right care and maintenance. The upkeep for garage doors can be arduous and can cost a lot of money especially if you plan on getting professionals to do the job. Luckily, you can actually do the maintenance yourself with the right tools and knowledge. There are a number of ways you can do to keep your garage door running smoothly.
The great thing about this is that you’ll only have to do this once or twice a year and it will only take a few hours of your day to finish everything. Here are a few reminders to keep in mind when replacing and maintaining a garage door.
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Give Your Garage Door an In-Depth Assessment
Before you do anything else, it is best to thoroughly inspect your garage door so you can diagnose which parts need repairs, replacements, or even just a proper cleaning. Ensure that you have paid attention to the flow of movement and every unusual sound coming from your garage door. Does the mechanism seem to look symmetrical or does one side seem loose? Are there any rough or abrasive sounds that may seem like some parts are scratching? Does the flow of movement go smooth or does it stop at certain points? Doing this helps you determine which parts you’ll need to focus on with maintenance and which parts might need repairs.
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Make Sure the Hardwares are Tight and Well Adjusted
Garage doors get used for more than a thousand times in a year. This puts a lot of strain on the mechanism from all the movement and vibration, making the roller brackets and bolts loose. Make sure that you tighten and adjust the brackets and bolts of your garage door every few months to ensure that nothing gets damaged in the long run. You can use a socket wrench to tighten these the next time you do a quick check. -
Check the Balance and Symmetry of the Mechanism
Making sure that your garage door is completely balanced and even will help you assess if there is something wrong with parts of the mechanism that is holding it up. This will significantly help prolong the life of your garage door if properly assessed.
First, you have to detach the garage door opener. Then, pull the emergency handle and manually offload the door up halfway. It should stay put if your springs are balanced, if it doesn’t stay in its position or it looks uneven, you should probably have it repaired. Depending on the type of garage door mechanism you have, this could be a bit hard to work on, very rarely is this handled by inexperienced people since this could affect other parts of the mechanism as well. We recommend calling a professional to do this especially if you have no proper tools and lack mechanical knowledge. -
Check the Rollers
It is important to check the rollers of your garage door every few years. These rollers (steel or nylon) could crack or wear out from all of the up and down movement of the door. If you have cracked or worn-out rollers, make sure to replace them immediately as this could cause other parts of the mechanism to break as well. This is very easy to do as you just have to remove and reinstall any broken roller that is not directly attached to the cable. Just make sure that you get the right material and size of the rollers so you don’t cause any further damage.
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Check and Replace the Weatherstripping
Always check your weatherstripping when doing a garage door maintenance. These are often forgotten when their purpose is as important as the other parts. Worn out weatherstripping should be replaced every few years. A torn weatherstrip can let rainwater and dust particles enter your garage and cause a painful clean up afterward.
To replace your weatherstrip, offload the door to about your eye-level. Then, remove the old garage door weatherstripping by using a putty knife or a flat bar to loosen the weather seal. Cut your new weatherstripping to the length of your garage door as it is usually sold in specific lengths, and install it to where you removed the old one. -
Check the Parts the Need Lubricating
Garage doors get used very often that over time, its moving parts may become dry and scratch with each other causing breakage. Make sure that your gears and all the other moving parts are properly lubricated. Keeping these parts well-greased will surely prevent possible breakage and add years to your garage doors.
It is important to note that not all parts need lubricating and some may even get damaged when greased. Parts to avoid are the nylon or plastic rollers that go on your tracks. When lubricating the rollers, make sure to only put the lubrication on the ball bearings inside the rollers to make the movements of the rollers smoother. -
Check the Springs
Garage door springs are the parts that help lift your heavy garage doors. These carry the tension of the door to lift it up which is why springs are often an important part to invest in. These can be a bit tricky to fix depending on the type of spring that you have installed in your garage door.
If you have extension springs which are the thinner and long springs, then repairing or replacing these can be done with very little effort. If you have torsion springs, you might want to have a professional check and fix it for you since these are technically heavy-duty springs that when handled wrong can cause accidents. Replacing or repairing your torsion springs can be done without a professional but it is best to take extra safety precautions.
To determine the health of your springs, check if your garage door seems uneven when opened or if it does not open fully at all. Often, springs can break while opening or closing the doors, so if you hear a loud metal banging noise, it’s most probably it. -
Test the Safety Features
There are two types of mechanisms used in garage doors and depending on what you have, its safety features will function very differently.
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Mechanical System
To test the mechanical safety feature of your garage door, place an object at the ground directly beneath your door. Then, as you close your garage doors, it should go back up once it has come in contact with the object.
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Photocell System
To test the photocell safety feature, close your garage doors and pass an object or your leg as it closes down. The sensors should detect the movement and it should go back up.
Older garage doors may not have these types of features and it is recommended to have a new garage door to avoid accidents.
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Refine and Refresh Your Garage Door
Aside from the mechanisms, make sure to check the garage doors itself. For wooden doors, check for chipped paint and water damage. For steel doors, check for areas with rust and prime these to avoid further damage. Always groom and wash your garage doors lightly with an all-purpose cleaning solution. This is best done at the same time that you are also cleaning your car so you won’t have to worry about the wet splatters.
Once you’ve performed these tasks, your garage should feel like it’s good as new. Garage doors are often the neglected part of your homes when in fact, it requires maintenance every once or twice a year and part replacements every few years. Make sure to assess each and every part of the door’s mechanism since it is very easy for other parts to get affected as well when a part is already broken.
One of the best things that you can do to your garage door is to always pay attention to it when you are using it. It’s a great investment to splurge a bit on maintaining and repairing your garage doors since these are used almost every single day. Fortunately, most of the maintenance and repairs can be done at home with the right tools and skills. Some may find it very challenging to do so if that’s the case it’s always best to consult an expert and pay a little more to make sure your garage doors are always in its best condition.
No matter which part of California you are in, be it CYPRESS or LONG BEACH, if you have been facing any issues with your garage door, just call us for a free estimate to have those issues resolved.
