Garage door service & maintance
Before diving into some summer garage door maintenance tips, we need to know what garage door maintenance is and why it’s important. The goal of garage door maintenance is to keep your garage door looking great and functioning properly. Garage door maintenance can range from simple touch-ups like applying lubricant or going over chipped paint to more involved updates like installing new rollers or increasing insulation.
It’s important to keep up with regular garage door maintenance because if you wait until your garage door is no longer closing or opening to pay it any attention, you’re too late. A lot of garage door maintenance you can do on your own, but some garage door fixes call for a professional.
Garage door maintenance and repair are always important, but it is especially crucial to check up on your garage door during the summer. The cold and icy conditions of winter can take a toll on your garage door, so make sure you do not ignore any damage and practice good garage door preventative maintenance in the summer. Inspect and repair what you can now so you do not have to pay for more costly replacements later.
Follow these garage door maintenance tips to ensure a smooth summer:
- GIVE YOUR GARAGE DOOR A FACELIFT
Considering how much of the exterior of your house’s face your garage door makes up, cleaning your garage door is one of the easiest ways to improve the overall look of your home. Start by washing the door with water and a mild detergent to remove the dirt, grime and grease that built up during the long winter months. Then, use some fresh paint to touch-up any scratches or give your garage door a whole new look with a full coat in a different colour.
- REMOVE RUST
If you have a steel garage door, it may be susceptible to rust. In that case, take care of any rust between washing and painting your door by sanding the rusted area, applying a primer, and then painting over the primer. Use exterior latex paint to guard against further rust issues.
- LUBRICATE THE MOVING PARTS
The cold, icy and moist winter months can break down the lubrication of your garage door’s moving parts, such as its tracks, rollers, hinges, pulleys, and chains. However, instead of grease, use a three-in-one oil lubricant made for garage doors to lubricate all the hardware and prevent loud screeching noises. Do not be too liberal with the lubricant — too much oil can attract more dirt.
- REPLACE ROLLERS
Whether your garage door’s rollers are steel or nylon, you will need to replace them every few years if you use your garage door regularly. Replacing worn, cracked or chipped roller is easy — simply remove the old or broken part, replace it, and reinstall any roller brackets that are not directly connected to the cable system. Along with rollers, make sure you replace any cracked or brittle weatherstripping to protect your garage door from summer storms.
- CARE FOR CABLES
Check the condition of your cables for broken strands and other damage near the bottom of the roller bracket, but never try to fix old cables on your own. High-tension cables have enough force to cause severe harm, so call a professional garage door technician to handle any cable repairs or replacements.
- SPRING FOR NEW SPRINGS
If your garage door is jammed, squeaking, or opening unevenly, it could need new springs. Springs are another instance of when you need to call a garage door technician because replacing garage door springs can be incredibly dangerous. To help your springs last longer, keep them rust-free.
- RUN TESTS
Something as simple as testing out your garage door can be a powerful tool in your DIY garage door maintenance toolbox. Open and close your garage door to check for any strange noises or improperly balanced springs. You can also do garage door trial runs to test your door’s auto-reverse safety feature by placing a piece of wood or brick in the garage door’s path and seeing if the door reverses its direction after contacting the object.
- SCHEDULE ROUTINE CHECKUPS
Instead of waiting until you need to replace the entire garage door, be proactive about addressing lesser garage door repairs. Booking routine garage door maintenance sessions with a professional technician will help you catch smaller garage door problems like loose bolts or springs before they cause larger issues. With regular garage door check-ups, recommended 2 times per year you can confidently rely on your garage door all year long.
