The door to your garage serves as one of the most convenient and safest devices in your home when it works well. Regular garage door maintenance can make sure it gives you easy access while keeping out intruders. Sometimes you can maintain your garage door by yourself, but some jobs require a trained professional.
Choosing DYI Routine to Maintain Your Garage Door.
Grinding sounds or a hesitation in the way your garage door moves can give you a heads-up about potential malfunctions. When you see or hear something that does not seem right, it gives you a chance to investigate and correct it if you can. Skilled experts at Overhead Door in Houston can give you a hand when you need to maintain your garage door.
1. Tightening Hardware
The size and weight of your garage door can cause the bolts and brackets to loosen over time, producing a rattling sound. Use a socket wrench to tighten them to resistance but not enough to strip the bolt threads.
2. Lubricating the Armbar, Bearing Plates, Hinges and Rollers
It may surprise you to know that WD-40 does not protect your equipment as well as grease that contains lithium or silicone. Applying it every six months keeps your garage door working smoothly.
3. Removing Debris from Door Tracks
An accumulation of trash can prevent your door from traversing the tracks. Use a vacuum to remove loose objects or a bristle brush to clear any stuck grime. Finish with a damp rag to wipe it down.
4. Keeping Out Rain, Ice and Snow
New weatherstripping can keep rodents and insects out of your garage too. Grooves on the bottom of the door can accept a replacement piece when you cut it to size.
5. Balancing the Door
You can do some tests that show whether a garage door has the proper balance. Failure to distribute the weight properly can cause a cable or spring to break. In addition, it puts undue stress on your garage door opener.
Testing starts with closing and disconnecting the door from control by the opener. The next step requires opening the door about half-way and letting go of it. A balanced door stays in place, giving you the proof you need. A garage door repair by a professional at Overhead Door in Houston can give your door the balance that makes it work smoothly.
6. Checking the Photo Eye Sensors for Safety
An occasional test of the auto-reverse feature on your garage door may help prevent accidental injury or damage. When they work correctly, the photo eye sensors reverse the closing process when the door touches an object in its way. You can check it by putting an object in its path and seeing whether the door stops and reverses course by opening again.
7. Protecting Wood Garage Doors and Steel Doors from Damage
Exposure to the elements can cause rot in wood or rust on steel, defacing one of the most visible aspects of your home’s façade. If you spot the rot on your wood garage door soon enough, you may repair it with wood filler, sanding and painting the damaged area. White vinegar on a cloth can remove rust from Steel Doors. Before applying paint, make sure to thoroughly clean the area.
Leaving the Tough Jobs to the Pros
Professionals at Overhead Door in Houston have the tools and parts to return your doors to primo condition. You do your part on garage door maintenance when you notice something that does not work the way you want and call for help.
1. Replacing the Rubber Seal
If you can see light under the door from inside your garage, it means that the seal no longer fits securely. The space can allow cold air, debris and water to enter.
2. Dealing with a Sagging or Unbalanced Door
When a worn cable snaps, it can present a potentially dangerous situation. Signs of wear include fraying or rust on the cables, sure signs that the door may sag or even appear shut. Early detection of a need for garage door repair can prevent the inconvenience of getting shut out of your garage.
3. Keeping Rollers Operating Smoothly
Your inspection of the rollers for cracks twice a year or more can prevent complications that lessen your enjoyment of your garage door. New rollers can extend the life of your garage door opener and help prevent the door from jumping the tracks.
