Yearly Garage Door Maintenance
Yearly garage door maintenance can be as simple as opening your garage door. You need to keep your garage door in good shape, just like any other machine, and maintenance is what your door needs. Repairing and replacing your door can be complex, but maintenance does not require much expertise. However, your garage door is probably the heaviest moving part of your home, so some maintenance should be left to the professionals. Here is what you need to do.
Watch and Listen
The first step in your garage door maintenance is to watch and listen to your door as it operates. If your door is rattling as it opens, find the source of the noise. If the track of your door is being jerk out of position, try to see what is moving it. Certain sights and sounds may suggest you need more than maintenance. For example, grinding sounds and a shifting track may signal that your door is imbalanced. Rust and other evidence of deterioration often suggest you need to replace your door.
More often than not, what your door needs is a tune up. Tighten any loose bolts and brackets. Lubricate the moving parts of your door: use a low temp grease on the opener’s chain and a spray lubricant on springs, hinges, rollers, and tracks. Also check that your cables, pulleys, and rubber weather stripping for excessive wear.
Check the Balance
Testing your garage door’s balance is one of the most important maintenance steps. To test your door’s balance, disconnect the opener by pulling the release handle. This will allow you to lift the door manually. Raise your door about halfway and see if your door stays put. If the door does not move, the door is balanced and safe. If not, the counterweight system in your door is imbalanced. Though you can detect this problem on your own, fixing it should be left to a professional.
The cables that lift your door should also be handled by a professional. If you notice that your cables are fraying or overly worn, call the professionals at Overhead Door of Western Kentucky™; the cables are under high-tension and can be dangerous when improperly handled.
Put it in Reverse
Most modern garage doors are equipped with an automated reverse function. There are two components in this system: an infrared beam and the reverse mechanism. To test the infrared beam, close your door and obstruct the path of the beam with something like a broom. The door should immediately reverse, and open the door. To check your reverse mechanism, place a piece of wood on the ground where your door closes. When the door touches the board, it should stop and reopen. If either of these tests does not reopen the door, your door needs to be serviced.
You only need to perform this garage door maintenance once per year to increase the longevity of your door. If you find yourself in need of professional help, call the Overhead Door of Western Kentucky™.
