The garage door is one of the most important and frequently used parts of every home. Besides the car, it houses many valuables and can help improve the overall appeal of a house.
A garage door typically has many moving parts ranging from light to heavy components, which will be subjected to wear and tear over time. Since each of these parts is primal to the effectiveness of the garage door, it is essential to practice good maintenance habits. In addition, bear in mind that a malfunction of any of the parts can affect the perfect function of the entire system.
As a result, a good maintenance habit is vital for your garage. However, it is not enough to wait until it develops a fault before caring for your garage door. There are simple garage maintenance tips that can prevent the constant breaking down of the unit and help improve the overall lifespan of the garage.
Some of these essential maintenance tips are:
- Lubricate Moving Parts
A garage door is a combination of many moving parts that work together to make the garage door open. Unfortunately, many of these parts are made of metal, and they often rub against one another. The rubbing process of two metals makes the metals wear out, which can even trigger friction.
You, however, can reduce any adverse effect of this rubbing process by oiling and greasing your garage door. This is a process you can do weekly, and it will not take up to 20 minutes. In addition, the overhead springs will love some light lubricant coat while you can use lithium grease on the opener’s chain.
This process goes a long way to reduce rust and future breakdown of the garage door.
- Examine the Weather Stripping
Over time, the garage door will be subjected to wear due to time, elements, and harsh weather. If you want to know how extreme cold weather can damage your garage, check the weather stripping. This is the part that protects your garage (the inside) from the elements.
If it seems brittle or there are cracks, you are better off replacing it. This will typically be available at the local hardware shop near you.
- Constantly Examine the Pulley System
The pulley systems alongside the cable are responsible for lifting the garage doors. Two different spring types make this possible, even though their mode of operation differs. Extension springs are not complicated compared to torsional springs. As a result, a homeowner can quickly service them.
Most of the time, torsional springs serve as a reservoir of potential energy, making them complicated and dangerous. As a result, they are best handled by professionals.
- Check the Rollers
The rollers of a garage door are neatly tucked in the track, making it easy to ignore them. Many are not even aware of their existence yet; they are essential parts of the garage door. The idea behind the roller is to reduce friction. Make sure to watch out for chipped, worn out, or cracked rollers. Such needs immediate replacement.
A cracked or worn-out roller will likely make you struggle to open the door, and it will struggle along its path. If the roller is not fixed to the cable system, you can easily replace it.
- Examine the Garage Door Balance
An unbalanced garage door will not run smoothly when trying to open. You will require excess energy to move the garage door up and down. Over time, this could lead to a breakdown of the garage door opener.
Cut off the power supply to the garage door. You can simply do this by pulling down the hanging red cord. After this, you need to pull the garage door to the halfway position manually. After you have done this, let go and observe what happens next. Your garage door is off the balance if it falls to the ground, either slowly or quickly.
The implication of this is that the counter-weight system needs maintenance. While you can check this, it is best left to the professionals to handle.
- Watch out for Critters and Pests
Basement and garage often serve as the perfect destination for critters and pets. For whatever reason, it serves as an attractive haven when trying to avoid the harsh weather. Pests love to make the garage their home when you consider that a typical garage has exposed rafters and framing. Should any of these be in your garage, be sure to take a step to get rid of them.
Critters like raccoons, squirrels, and opossums in the garage mean there is a big entry point. You have to figure this out and patch it up as soon as you can.
- Troubleshoot the Auto-Reverse Safety Feature
The auto-reverse feature of your garage is hinged on two working mechanisms: photocell and mechanical. It is possible to troubleshoot both mechanisms with the tips discussed below:
To examine the photocell mechanism, engage the button that closes your garage door. As the door starts coming down, introduce a blockage across the sensory beam. Your photocells are working correctly as long as the garage door stops and reverses back to the top.
For the mechanical feature, put an obstruction like a plank of wood on the track’s path. The mechanical auto-reverse safety feature is in good condition, provided the door reverses direction when it starts touches the obstruction on the way down.
- Clear the Track often.
The buildup of debris, dirt, and rust on the track is inevitable over time. This can affect the garage door’s movement. With a lever, you can correct any damage to the track to make it align vertically. You can easily do this, although you should call a professional for any further repair.
Conclusion
You can prevent expensive repairs and break down of the garage door by developing a sound maintenance habit. This way, you can avoid any unforeseen issue that might arise as you use the garage door.
Author’s Bio:
Hello World ! I’m Emma, a passionate writer, guest blogger and I’ve been sharing my thoughts with you, the pharmahub.org subscribers for some time now. Writing helps me to improve my knowledge, skills and understanding about the specific industry. I truly love writing and sharing my knowledge mostly in the fashion, Travel and lifestyle industry. I am passionate about spreading the knowledge and tips across the world. You can get in touch with me through an email,”[email protected]” as well. If you are searching for a post related to Elite Garage Door & Gate Repair, this post is definitely for you 🙂