Garage door maintenance is something frequently overlooked by many homeowners. By neglecting simple maintenance, you risk negatively affecting your garage door’s operating ability. After all, your garage door is the largest moving part in your entire home – it only makes sense to take time to perform regular maintenance and preventative care.
Here are 5 maintenance tips that you can perform regularly to ensure your garage door continues to operate smoothly and efficiently for decades.
5 Garage Door Maintenance Tips
Take some time to practice these simple maintenance tips at least twice a year. Remember – prevention is better than cure, so rather practice performing regular maintenance than troubleshooting garage door problems when they arise.
Observe the door in operation
One of the best ways to diagnose if your garage door has issues is to watch and listen to it in action. Often, problems with your door will be apparent if your door show signs of jerky movement and scraping sounds.
Whilst your door is in operation, take note of both sides of the system – make sure everything looks symmetrical and keep an ear out for any unfamiliar sounds.
A well-maintained garage door will be relatively quiet and smoothly open and close.
Test the door balance
Spring balance is responsible for smooth opening and closing. If your door is unbalanced, it’s going to put a lot of unnecessary strain on your garage door motor, decreasing its lifespan significantly.
It sounds far more complicated than it is but checking your garage door’s balance is actually a fairly simple procedure.
To test your garage door’s balance, do the following:
- Close the garage door and pull the release handle to disengage the automatic opener
- Manually lift the garage door until it’s about halfway open
If the garage door creeps either up or down, it means your door is not balanced and the springs could be worn. If this is the case, seek professional garage door repair.
Check the cables and pulleys
The cables and pulleys that attach to the bottom roller brackets on your garage door are what’s responsible for providing connection between the door and the springs, helping lift and lower the door safely.
It’s important to note that you should not touch or fiddle with the cables, pulleys and springs. Simply perform a visual inspection to note whether there are any broken strands or signs of wear and/or damage on the cables.
Clean and paint your garage door
When you are performing the above checks, it’s always a good idea to inspect the door itself.
If you have a steel garage door, look out for signs of rust; if spotted you should sand, prime and paint to prevent rust from spreading and getting worse.
If you have a wooden garage door, you need to closely inspect it for signs or warping or water damage. If you notice any signs of the above, remove the chipped paint, then sand and repaint the door.
Lubricate the moving parts
Like the motor in your car, garage door parts need to be lubricated otherwise they risk unnecessary stress which can reduce their lifespan significantly.
At least twice a year, make sure to apply a high-quality lubricant to your rollers and hinges; taking extra care to ensure you wipe off any excess lubricant.
If you haven’t lubricated a garage door before, here’s a full step-by-step guide.
FAQs
Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions around garage door maintenance and care.
How often do garage doors need maintenance?
Garage doors require maintenance at least twice a year. If we’re speaking about garage door service, you should aim to have your door serviced once a year if no other issues arise.
How often should I lubricate a garage door?
Ideally, you should lubricate all the moving parts in your garage door every six months. By doing so, you can extend the lifespan of your door and keep it operating smoothly.
Should I use WD-40 on my garage door?
Yes. WD-40 is a great choice to use for garage door lubrication. WD-40 not only helps with lubrication, but it also assists in preventing rust and corrosion. It is also able to withstand heat and cold, making it an ideal choice for a garage door lubricant.