27 June 2018
 Categories: , Blog

When you buy a home with a garage, it is important that you start inspecting and maintaining your garage doors right away. Especially if this is the first time you've had a garage, you may not know where to start. Here are a few tips to help you not only inspect your garage doors but also to take care of them, prolong their lifespan, and minimize your garage door repair costs.

Inspect The Doors Regularly

Evaluating your garage doors starts with visual and audible inspections. Take time to listen to the way the garage door motor sounds as it opens and closes the door. You shouldn't hear any scraping, grinding, or similar noises when the door moves. In addition, you should see a smooth, even, consistent operation when the door opens and closes. This is important because the symmetry of the door is a key part of the door's hardware and operation.

As you evaluate the door, you should also look at the condition of the weatherstripping. Check it regularly for any signs that it's loose, brittle, cracked, or damaged in any other way. If it is showing signs of damage, replace it right away to ensure that it still does its job and forms a full seal around the bottom of the door.

Keep The Door Assembly Clean

Your garage door assembly includes the door itself, the tracks that it's mounted on, and all of the components of the door opener. Keeping all of these components clean is important because dirt that accumulates in or on the door assembly can lead to some deterioration and damage that is difficult to address later.

While you're cleaning the door itself, look for any signs of chipping, warping, peeling paint, or even rust or corrosion. At the same time, clean out the tracks. Garage door tracks can become filled with dirt, debris, and other particles that can damage the rollers and cause scraping and other issues inside the tracks. Use a lubricating cleanser to wipe out the tracks, and always use a clean, dry rag for the best results.

Lubricate The Assembly Regularly

At least once a month, you should apply a lubricant to the tracks of the garage door, including the rollers and the rest of the components. Make sure that you lubricate everything evenly so that the door can move freely when you operate it.

Check All Of The Hardware

The screws, bolts, and other hardware must be kept tight and secure in your garage door. Unfortunately, every time you open or close the door, it causes wear and tear. Check all of the hardware on a regular basis and tighten anything that has loosened over time due to the vibration of the door's movement.

While you're checking the hardware, you also need to look at the rollers. If the rollers are broken or damaged, they need to be replaced. Both steel and nylon rollers suffer wear, and they can easily be snapped in place on the mounts that the current ones sit on.

Monitor The Door's Balance

When your garage doors open or close, they should do so consistently and evenly. If the door is moving faster in one direction than the other or seems to be sitting unevenly, that means that the door isn't properly balanced. You can fix it by adjusting the springs on either side to help counter the balance problem.

Another thing you can do to check the balance of your door is to pull the red cord that disengages your automatic door opener. Slide the door to the halfway point so it remains halfway open. If it shifts, that means your door isn't properly balanced.

For more information, contact a company like R & S Garage Door Inc.