Garage doors protect your cars and your home. Maintaining them is much cheaper than replacing them. What maintenance does a garage door need?
Visually inspect the garage door springs, cables, rollers, hinges, and tracks. Look for loose hardware, dirt, and debris. Listen if the door is making grinding or scraping noises. Next, lubricate, tighten, and balance the door. Regular garage door maintenance helps you can avoid sudden breakdowns and expensive repairs.
Common Misconceptions About Garage Door Maintenance
One of the most common misconceptions about garage door maintenance is that it is an unnecessary expense.
Many people believe that they only need to call for repairs when something goes wrong with their garage door.
However, regular maintenance can prevent such issues from occurring in the first place.
Another misconception is that DIY maintenance is sufficient for keeping the garage door functioning properly.
While some minor tasks like cleaning or lubrication can be carried out by homeowners, other more complex tasks require professional attention.
Attempting DIY repairs without proper knowledge and equipment may cause further damage or injury. Clean and lubricate the doors yourself, but get a professional to balance them.
Why Garage Doors Need Maintenance
Any of the issues in the list below can end up costing real money to repair.
Garage door maintenance helps with problems such as:
- spring, cable, roller, hinge, or track wear and tear
- loose bolts or screws
- dirt or debris in the tracks
- grinding or scraping noises
- unbalanced doors that fall too fast
Garage door roller in track
The Cost of Neglecting Garage Door Maintenance
Lack of maintenance leads to the need for repair or replacement of the garage door.
Without maintenance, at a minimum, you will spend money fixing the door. The worst case is spending thousands to replace your garage doors.
Without proper care, parts like springs, cables, and rollers can wear out quickly leading to malfunctions or complete breakdowns.
A faulty garage door can also become a safety hazard and lead to accidents, especially when not attended to in time.
Additionally, an outdated garage door can decrease the value of your property and limit its appeal in the real estate market.
The Typical Causes of Garage Door Breakdowns
Constant use of the garage door over time results in wear and tear, which can cause significant damage if not addressed promptly.
Garage Doors Need Wear and Tear Maintenance
The movements required for opening and closing the doors put significant strain on the various mechanical components within the system resulting in loosened hardware over time if not tightened periodically
The most common issues caused by wear and tear include broken springs or cables, worn-out rollers and hinges, and damaged panels or tracks.
These issues can lead to the complete failure of your garage door system, making it impossible to open or close the door safely.
This is why regular maintenance is crucial. It allows you to catch any potential problems before they turn into costly repairs.
Weather Can Damage the Garage Door
Another factor that affects your garage door's performance is exposure to weather elements such as rain, snow, heat, or cold.
Extreme temperatures can cause the metal components of your garage door to expand or contract leading to misalignment which could affect its functionality.
Furthermore, moisture buildup from rain or snow can cause rust formation on metal parts leading to corrosion.
Storms can throw any number of rocks and branches at the doors leading to dents and bruises.
To avoid these issues, ensure that regular maintenance involves inspecting for rust formation and replacing corroded parts as well as repairing any dents caused by debris during storms.
Faulty Garage Doors Can Be Dangerous
Not only is regular maintenance for your garage door important for keeping it in good working condition, but it is also vital for safety purposes.
A malfunctioning garage door could pose significant risks to your family and property.
Two issues, in particular, can cause danger: faulty door sensors, and door imbalance.
The sensor on an automatic garage door is a beam of light across the entrance. If there's something breaking that beam while the door is going down, the door should reverse and go up.
A faulty sensor could cause the door to close on an object or person, leading to injury or damage.
Balance refers to the spring tension on the door. On a manual garage door, or an automatic door disconnected from the controller, you should be able to put the door halfway between open and closed, and it should stay there. An imbalanced door will fall from the middle spot.
Both sensors and balance are best addressed by professional garage door repair services.
Types of Garage Door Maintenance
Here are 6 steps to a safe and functional garage door.
Step 1: Do a Visual Inspection of the garage Door Components
The most basic type of garage door maintenance is a visual inspection. Regularly checking the condition of all parts of your garage door can help you identify any potential issues before they escalate into more serious problems.
During a visual inspection, look for signs of wear and damage in the springs, cables, rollers, hinges, tracks, and other essential components.
Make sure there are no loose bolts or screws and that the tracks are clean and free from debris. In addition to looking for signs of wear and damage, also pay attention to how your garage door operates.
Listen for unusual sounds such as grinding or scraping noises that may indicate parts need lubrication or replacement. Test balance by manually opening and closing the door halfway – it should remain stable in place without moving up or down.
Step 2: Lubricate the Garage Door's Moving Parts
Lubricating moving parts is another important aspect of garage door maintenance that should not be ignored. Proper lubrication helps reduce friction between mechanical parts, which reduces wear and tear on these components over time.
Before starting this process, make sure to read your product manual as it will detail specific instructions on which type of lubricant to use and where to apply it. A general rule is that white lithium grease works best on metal-to-metal contact points while silicone-based sprays are best used on plastic components.
Apply lubricant to all moving parts including rollers, hinges, springs (but avoid spraying directly on them), and tracks. Avoid over-lubricating as this can attract dirt and grime build-up over time.
Step 3: Tighten Loose Hardware Supporting the Garage Door
Loose hardware such as bolts or nuts can cause serious safety concerns if left unaddressed as it affects the stability of your garage door system. Tightening loose hardware is an easy yet essential step to ensure your door continues to operate safely and smoothly.
Using a socket wrench, make sure to check all screws, nuts, bolts, brackets, and other hardware components for tightness. However, do not overtighten as this can cause damage in the long run.
Step 5: Check the Door Sensor
Test the automatic sensor with a stick. Close the door, and interrupt the sensor beam with a stick. The door should immediately reverse and go up. If it doesn't, contact a professional repair company.
Step 6: Check the Door Balance
The balance of a garage door is paramount for it to function safely and efficiently. An unbalanced door will put excessive strain on the opener system causing it to fail over time.
Checking balance should be done regularly by disconnecting the opener system from the door tracks and manually lifting the door halfway. If it stays in place without moving up or down easily, then it is balanced correctly.
If not or if you hear scraping sounds while lifting it manually, then there may be issues with spring tension or cable fraying that need addressing. Checking alignment is another important aspect of garage door maintenance.
Misaligned tracks cause uneven wear on rollers and can affect the proper operation of your garage door. To check alignment, use a level tool against both vertical tracks – they should be plumb (straight up and down).
These problems are dangerous and require a professional for safe repair.
How Often Your Garage Doors Need Maintenance
Proper maintenance is essential to keep the garage doors functioning smoothly. The frequency of maintenance required for garage doors may vary based on several factors, such as the material used, type of garage door, frequency of use, and environmental conditions.
Most manufacturers recommend a yearly inspection and service by a professional technician to ensure optimal performance. However, some types of garage doors may require more frequent maintenance.
Maintenance Schedule for Steel and Aluminum Garage Doors
Steel and aluminum doors are less prone to wear and tear but may require frequent lubrication compared to wooden doors. Wooden overhead doors require regular inspections for warping or rotting due to weather exposure.
Maintenance Schedule for Roll-Up Garage Doors
Roll-up doors that have continuous movement are more prone to damage due to frequent use and may need monthly inspections. The easiest way to determine how often your garage door needs maintenance is by referring to the manufacturer’s manual or consulting a professional technician who can guide you on maintaining your particular model.
Signs that Indicate Immediate Attention is Needed
You can also do as-needed maintenance when you see something is wrong.
Here are some signs that indicate immediate attention is needed:
- If you notice any grinding or screeching sounds during operation, it could indicate worn-out rollers or hinges which should be replaced immediately.
- A slow-moving door indicates issues with the motors or springs responsible for lifting it. Immediate attention should be given before major damage occurs.
- Difficulty with opening/closing might mean that there's an issue with the tracks, springs, cables or rollers that need immediate attention from a professional technician.
- If one side moves quicker than another during operation, it could indicate an imbalance caused by worn-out springs or cables which should be resolved immediately.
DIY vs Professional Maintenance
Garage door maintenance is essential to keep your garage doors functioning smoothly and prevent costly repairs. While some homeowners prefer to handle maintenance tasks themselves, others prefer hiring a professional.
Both DIY and professional maintenance methods have their advantages and disadvantages. In this section, we will discuss the pros and cons of each method.
Tools Required for DIY Maintenance
If you choose to handle garage door maintenance tasks yourself, you need to have specific tools on hand. These include a ladder, socket wrench set, pliers, screwdrivers, a leveler, and lubricant spray.
Risks Involved in DIY Maintenance
While handling garage door maintenance tasks yourself may seem simple enough, it comes with its share of risks. One significant risk is a personal injury due to improper handling of heavy garage doors or lack of safety gear such as gloves or goggles. Additionally, inexperienced homeowners may misjudge the severity of the problem leading to more extensive damage that requires costly repairs.
Benefits of Hiring a Professional
Hiring a professional for your garage door maintenance needs comes with several benefits. Firstly, professionals bring years of experience and expertise in handling different types of garage doors from various manufacturers. They can identify underlying problems before they escalate into more significant issues that may require costly repairs or replacements that could have been avoided with proper maintenance.
Secondly, professionals come equipped with all the necessary tools needed for the job; thus homeowners do not need to invest money in purchasing specialized tools they will rarely use.
Thirdly, hiring a professional ensures safety since they have safety gear required when working on heavy-duty machinery like garage doors; therefore, reducing the risk of injury.
Professionals provide warranties for their work; thus if something goes wrong after they’ve worked on your garage door within the warranty period, they will come back and fix it at no extra cost to you.
While DIY garage door maintenance is possible with the right tools and knowledge, hiring a professional comes with more advantages such as experience, expertise, safety measures, and warranties.
Conclusion
Garage doors do need regular maintenance. Wear and tear, weather, and dirt can loosen and de-rail the garage door. Do a visual inspection. Lubricate moving parts, tighten loose hardware, check the door balance (with the help of a professional), check the door sensor, and replace damaged parts.
Maintenance tasks may require professional assistance due to the risks involved or tools required for proper execution. In such cases, it's best not to take chances and hire trained professionals who possess extensive experience with maintaining garage doors.
