Garage doors are great utility devices that are used every day. Most Seattle homeowners use them as secondary entry doors to their homes and also for storage, protection and home project purposes. Therefore, proper care and servicing of the garage doors is essential to ensure their smooth functioning and your safety. But most people don’t pay much attention to the door, leading to a decline in its optimal performance and overall life. This results in huge replacement costs.
A garage door functions using torsion springs which stores energy to raise and lower the door carefully. This hardware tends is subject to a lot of wear and tear due to low maintenance. To avoid high costs on door spring replacement, try these simple maintenance tips.
Things You Need
- A sturdy aluminum ladder
- A file
- A small can of multipurpose machine oil
- A paint brush
- Household Cleaner (optional)Few Maintenance Checks
Before performing any of the checks, first disconnect the garage door opener from its power source and detach it from the opening mechanism.
- Monthly Inspection – Monthly inspection is one of the best ways to keep your garage door in check. Close the door and inspect all its elements such as springs, cables, rollers, pulleys and other mounting hardware for any signs of wear and tear. In case you find any signs of damage such as worn out cable, loose mounting hardware or anything else that does not seem upright, get it checked by a trained professional. Ensure that you don’t try to change anything or repair anything on your own. Cables and torsion can be dangerous
- Door balance test – Lift the door manually to check whether it lifts smoothly and remains fully open or not. If it doesn’t, then your door is out of balance and requires servicing. Also, notice whether it is lifted straight. Similarly, while automatically closing the door, ensure that it moves in a straight line.
- Force Setting Test – A force setting test is done to see whether the door’s reverse mechanism works automatically or not. This is particularly beneficial in case of an emergency when the door is accidentally closed and something (a car, a toy etc) is directly below the door. For the test, keep a wooden plank (about 1 foot) below the door and close it. If the door doesn’t reverse after sensing the plank, call a professional.
- Lubrication – Ask a professional garage door maintenance company about the best lubricants that you can use for your garage door in Seattle. Regularly lubricate the hinges, tracks, bearings and rollers to ensure that they function smoothly.