Garage doors are normally used several times a day, yet many homeowners do not conduct regular checks or inspections on them. In most homes, garage doors are the most neglected part of the house, although they make up a bigger part of the outside of your house. If you conduct several tests on your door, you may catch a problem and fix it before it gets worse. Furthermore, inspections help you ensure enough safety measures in your garage; if there are any problems, you can do maintenance.
Garage maintenance is an easy process, and it ensures your door remains in good condition. Here are also 4 Tips to Extend the Life of your Garage Door that garage owners can use.
Use old doors a few times.
If your garage door is getting older, you need to limit the number of times you use it. The more you open or close a door, the more likely you will experience wear and tear. Therefore, you should use your garage door only when you need it. It will also help ensure that children don’t swing on the garage door to avoid the door hinges from falling off. Also, you can prefer Fire Shutters that help to secure your garage from fire.
Check the hardware of your garage door.
Your garage door has several screws, cables, springs, and nuts holding it together. These components can easily wear and tear as time passes by. It will help if you check your hardware regularly. Suppose there is any issue you can find a way to solve. For loose hinges, you can tighten them.
You can check the hardware of your door about twice a month for any cracks or frayed parts. If there is a huge problem with your pulleys, you can contact a professional to help you fix them.
Test your door’s balance
Your door needs to have a correct balance, and you can check it by detaching it from the opener and moving it along its tracks manually. If the door has balance, it will remain in place after detaching it.
However, if the door falls, it means that it is imbalanced. You will need to get a technician to prevent your door from becoming more damaged. It will be best to conduct the test frequently to spot any issue early.
Clean and lubricate moving parts
Your garage opener goes through a lot of stress, and to avoid this, you can keep your parts lubricated. You can lubricate moving parts like rollers and hinges regularly. You can use engine oil to lubricate the rollers by placing drops of oil on each roller. The rolling action will ensure the oil gets inside the bearings. Notably, you should not use grease on the rollers since it will attract dirt that may clog your tracks.
Additionally, you may want to lubricate the door hinges attached to the door panels. You can use a spray lubricant such as lithium grease on your hinges. You can use a clean cloth for the excess grease. Lubricating the opener’s chain with white lithium grease will allow you to operate it smoothly. However, you should check the manufacturer’s manual before lubricating your door’s parts.
Other tips
- Wash your panel. Keeping your garage door panel clean helps increase its lifespan. A dirty garage door can easily rust, making it less effective. You can use an all-purpose cleaner for your door to prevent any rust. Besides, you can also wash your garage door with a mixture of detergent and water.
- Monitor the cables. A garage door cable helps lift your door whenever you click the button; since it is connected to the opener. The cables need to be strong so that they can lift your door without breaking. If there are no functioning cables, your door may fall, causing injury or property damage.
- Check your door’s weather stripping. Your door may have a weather strip to prevent wind and water from entering your door panel and causing damage. If you identify any problem with your weatherstrip, you can consult an expert to help you replace or fix it.
- Clean your door’s track. You can look for an expert to help keep your tracks clean. It will be best not to use any lubricant or an all-purpose cleaner on your tracks.
- Inspect your door’s safety feature. You should ensure your door has safety features to prevent your door from damaging. To test the feature, you can place wood below the garage door; it should automatically reverse when it comes into contact with it.
- Get new hinges regularly. If your door hinge gets damaged, you should buy new ones to prevent your door from further damage.
Conclusion
You can use all the tips listed above to ensure your door lasts longer. Besides, you can research other methods you can use to maintain your door. You can consult an expert to prevent your door from being damaged further.
Author Bio-: Tammy Taylor is a full-time content marketing specialist. He has been closely studying the travel industry trends for quite some time. He has worked for various domains before coming to the travel and vehicle industry. He loves modifying her garage and whenever she modifies her she keeps in mind Elite Garage Door & Gate Repair for the safety of her garage. When he is not working, Tammy likes to work out, try new foods, and play with her dog.