DIY Maintenance Tips for Your Garage Door
Regular maintenance is essential for ensuring your garage door operates smoothly, safely, and efficiently. While professional servicing is recommended for major repairs and safety checks, there are several maintenance tasks you can perform yourself to keep your garage door in top condition. In this blog post, we’ll provide easy-to-follow DIY maintenance tips that can help extend the life of your garage door and prevent common issues.
1. Inspect and Tighten All Hardware
The constant motion and vibration of a garage door can loosen its hardware over time. Every few months, inspect and tighten all roller brackets and bolts with a socket wrench. This simple step can prevent many operational issues related to loose components.
2. Lubricate Moving Parts
A little lubrication can go a long way in extending the life of your garage door. Use a spray lubricant on the opener’s chain or screw and a silicone spray or white lithium grease on the springs, hinges, rollers (not the nylon ones), and tracks. This will ensure smooth operation and protect against rust and wear.
3. Test the Garage Door Balance
If your garage door is not properly balanced, the opener will have to work harder, which can shorten its lifespan. Disconnect the opener by pulling the release handle (usually a red cord) and manually move the door halfway up. If it doesn’t stay put, the springs are improperly balanced and need adjustment by a professional.
4. Check and Replace the Weatherstripping
The rubber weather seal strip on the bottom of your door helps keep out dust, water, and drafts. Check it regularly for signs of wear or damage. If the weatherstripping is brittle or missing sections, replace it. Weatherstripping can be purchased at hardware stores and cut to size, then slid into the bottom of the door.
5. Inspect and Clean the Tracks
Make sure the tracks on either side of the door are free from debris and rust. You can clean the tracks with a large brush and adjust them to ensure they’re plumb (perfectly vertical) using a level. However, major adjustments to the tracks should be done by a professional.
6. Check the Door for Signs of Wear
Inspect the door itself for rust spots (in steel doors), warping (in wood doors), or any other signs of wear and tear. Wooden doors may need to be painted or sealed every few years to protect against the elements. If your door is made of metal, applying car wax can protect against rust and enhance the door’s finish.
7. Test the Auto-Reverse Safety Features
Modern garage doors are equipped with auto-reverse safety features that prevent the door from closing if an object is detected in its path. Test this feature by placing a block of wood on the ground where the door would close. If the door does not automatically reverse upon hitting the block, the opener’s sensitivity needs to be adjusted or the system needs to be checked by a professional.
Conclusion
Performing regular maintenance on your garage door can help ensure it operates smoothly and safely for years to come. Most of these maintenance tasks are simple and can be done in a few minutes. However, if you encounter any issues that seem beyond simple DIY fixes, it’s important to call in a professional garage door repair service to ensure the job is done safely and effectively. Remember, taking care of your garage door is not just about preserving its functionality but also about keeping your home safe and secure.
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