Often we take our garage doors operation for granted. Like any other part of our house, home, castle or cabin, a little maintenance goes a long way to insure the parts will continue to operate well.
To help better understand the best practices of maintaining that garage door, we asked Rosie on the House Certified Partner Trevor Leisek of Same Day Garage Door Services for some helpful tips you can use.
Let’s Talk Garage Door Maintenance
Trevor tells us that “you need to make a habit of visually inspecting the door. That means getting up close and personal with the door, the frame, the tracks, the chains, and the wheels. Look for any signs of wear or damage”.
- Weatherstripping used around the frame, is a common part of the door system that wears out. You can replace this yourself. Strips up to 8 feet long are available in your local big box stores. For longer continuous strips contact a door distributor.
- Tracks need to be free of debris. Dirt and small pebbles build up in the track and will eventually damage the rollers that ride in the track. Vacuum or sweep them out.
- Rollers can become pitted and chipped which can affect operations and make your garage door noisy. Carefully observe the rollers for any chips or divots. Special tools and skills are needed to replace rollers. We suggest you engage a professional to replace them.
- Cables and Springs. Look at the cables and springs. The tiniest fraying or tearing of cables and springs can spell future trouble. Trevor strongly recommends that you do not try to replace either of these components. They are under extreme tension and require special tools and expertise to replace or repair. This is truly one of those things that could severely injure you if not handled professionally. “Stay away from tension!” is sound advice for garage doors and life!
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Garage door sensors keep the garage door from closing on someone or something that may be under it; check to make sure they work as they should Sensors, often called garage door “eyes”, are what keep you and your children safe from the garage door as it closes. Their purpose is to detect obstacles that might be caught under the door when closing. They are located where the track meets the floor and no higher than 6” above the ground. There is one on each side of the garage door and they need to be aligned for your door to operate. One sensor light will be an amber color and the other a green color. If either of these colors are not present, call a pro. Use a dry or lightly damped cloth to wipe each lens regularly so the two can “see” each other clearly.
- Lubrication of moving parts can extend the life of your door system by as much as 40%. Use a spray on white lithium or more commonly a silicon based lubricant. Apply to the springs, hinges and all moving parts except the roller surfaces and the track which work by friction. Lubricating them defeats their purpose. Using a straw attached to the aerosol can, will focus the lubricant more appropriately.
Troubleshooting Common Garage Door Issues:
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Lubricate the moving parts of the door; use the straw that comes with the lubricant for precise application Too Much Noise | Squeaking, scraping, rattling, and vibrating when the door is opening or closing, especially after lubricating, can be caused by loose nuts or bolts. Use a wrench or ratchet to carefully tighten any loose nuts or bolts. Trevor says the most common sizes are 7/16ths or 1/2inch.
- Door Won’t Descend | Check the sensors and make sure that nothing is blocking them. Look for the light color mentioned above. Look to see if the mounting brackets appear to have been knocked out of alignment. You can try to straighten these out to realign but be careful not to stress the bracket to a breaking point.
A simple test for door safety operations is called the 2×4 test. Lay a 2×4 on the ground where the door would sit if it were closed. Activate the door. If the door touches the 2×4 and goes back up, great, it’s working! If it doesn’t go up and continues to push downward, the motor setting is not correct. You will need the help of a professional to fix this issue.
One Last Reminder!
The springs are under significant tension. It is this tension that allows the door to lift up. Messing with springs can cause catastrophic injury. Avoiding tension is a healthy practice in life and garage door maintenance.
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Homeowner Handbook | #UpsAndDownsOfGarageDoors
CONTENT PARTNER | Same Day Garage Door Services
As a family-owned business, Same Day Garage Door Services puts their name on every job. Our experience and expertise ensures that our customers can rely on us to do the right job at the right price. We want your business – and we will work hard to get it and keep it through our commitment to excellence, our superior customer service and our quality results. Our professional team cares about YOUR garage door needs and we tailor-fit your installation or repair to YOUR home.
PODCAST
Chris of Same Day Garage Doors joins us for our Weekly To Do about the do’s and don’t on garage door maintenance. Plus homeowner questions on popping noises in roof rafters, lead paint abatement, a suspicious air conditioning service, roof leak with solar panels, fascia wrap, dishwasher dilemma and more!
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