Do you have any idea that a well-maintained garage door can endure for nearly 30 years and garage door openers can last for 10 to 12 years? As a homeowner, you depend on your garage door to gain access to your house daily, and you want to know that it will work as it should.
Since the garage door is the most significant moving part in most homes, you must take the time to properly care for it and perform routine repairs and maintenance to ensure that it lasts. If you take appropriate care of your garage door, you can expect it to function correctly for many years.
So, on that note, here are five garage door maintenance ideas that will help it run smoothly years after years.
- Lubricate All Moving Parts
Wondering ‘how long do garage doors last? Well, proper maintenance can make it last for up to more than 15 years approximately. One of the simplest ways to extend the life of your garage door system is to lubricate all of the moving parts. Take 10 minutes once a year to lubricate the opener’s chain or drive screw, as well as the hinges, door rollers, and tracks. Check the owner’s handbook or ask a garage door expert for optimum garage door lubrication.
It will ensure that it lasts for a long time. When it comes to minimizing noise and keeping your residential garage door opening and shutting smoothly, a small amount of oil can tremendously help. Also, coat the chain or driving screw of the opener with a spray lubricant.
- Tighten the Hardware
Because you open and shut the garage door numerous times every day, the hardware is prone to becoming loose over time. In reality, the average garage door opens and shuts over a thousand times per year. All of this movement can cause various components to loosen naturally. Check the hardware regularly and tighten any pieces that look to be loose, or call a professional garage repair business. Allow the garage door experts to inspect your hardware for you.
The vibrations created by your garage door opening and closing loosen the hardware. It’s no surprise that tightening your bolts and roller brackets regularly is a crucial element of automated garage door maintenance, given that the average individual uses their garage door a thousand times per year.
- Test the Door’s Balance
Whenever a garage door is out of balance, it will exert a lot of strain on its opener, reducing its lifespan. To check for its balance, ensure to disconnect it from the door opener. Pull the manual release cord and then stop when the garage door is almost halfway up. In case the garage door is balanced correctly, it will automatically stop on its own
If you notice that the door is sliding down or riding up, this could indicate the tension between the springs, which needs an adjustment. Garage door spring maintenance is always done by the professionals better. So, instead of repairing the door spring yourself, you should call or better company.
An imbalanced garage door can cause the opener to malfunction prematurely. It’s also possible that it’ll remove the hardware and destroy a cable or spring. Start by closing your door and then detaching it from the opener to see whether it’s balanced. Lift the door halfway and then release it slowly. Call a garage door technician if the door does not stay in position, as the springs might need to be modified or replaced. They can also troubleshoot a garage door that is uneven or drooping.
- Replace the Weather-strip
Ensure the weather strip that runs down the bottom of the door is in good working order so that snow and water stay out of your garage. You can find the weatherstrip and other garage door parts at a repair shop near you if the rubber has cracks or breaks off. Cut the new piece to size and place it in the door’s grooves. Ensure that the flanges wide-angle are inside the door.
When the weatherstripping beneath your garage door begins to deteriorate, your garage becomes vulnerable to the elements. Inside your garage, rain and snow can create unsafe circumstances and cause damage.
If you see puddles in your garage, rust around the door, or draughts flowing in under the door, your weatherstripping is likely in need of repair.
As long as you plan sincerely and have the appropriate products, this is a straightforward project. Be cautious of stripping that claims to fit any door; this is rarely the case. If you’re uncertain, seek advice from a professional before plunging in.
- Visual Garage Door Inspection
It’s crucial to regularly inspect your garage for water damage, chip, and peeling paint to keep any minor damage from worsening. As per the material used to manufacture your garage door, you may need to do additional servicing.
If the door is built of steel, rust patches may appear, requiring sanding, priming, and painting. A timber overhead garage door, on either hand, may require treatment to prevent the wood from deteriorating due to weather exposure.
If your door jerks up and down, makes strange noises or otherwise acts strangely, you’ll want to solve it as soon as possible. See if you can solve the problem. If not, contact someone to help you before it becomes a significant problem.
The Bottom Line
So, these are the five ways that will help the garage door last longer. Besides those, do not forget to examine the cables at regular intervals to locate any broken strands. Make sure that there is no debris in the door tracks. Also, examining the auto-reverse safety feature is imperative either mechanically or with photocell once in 2 months. And if there is any major issue, always hire a professional garage door repair shop. They will provide preventative maintenance service, and a weather seal meant to keep the garage door from developing unnecessary problems.
