Six Maintenance Things to Do for Garage Doors
Garage doors require some attention to operate smoothly day after day. Homeowners should take the time for do-it-yourself maintenance to keep their garage doors in top condition.
GDI Garage Door, a Bay Area garage door contractor for nearly 40 years, suggests these six summer maintenance things to do for your garage doors:
- Clean gently but thoroughly. Wash your garage doors to remove dust, spiderwebs, and other debris that can cause premature wear to moving parts. All you need is a garden hose, a bucket, dishwashing detergent, a sponge, and a few dry towels or rags. Be sure to clean both sides of the door.
- For consistently smooth opener operation, apply an oil made for garage doors to hinges, rollers, and tracks. A light application is all that is necessary.
- Touch up with paint. Steel doors may rust or corrode when exposed to moisture. Paint over any chipped or worn areas.
- Repair damaged windows, insulation, and weather-stripping. Insulated doors moderate temperatures in your home. Replace torn or loose insulation and weather-stripping. Also, promptly replace broken windows that allow hot or cold air inside.
- Inspect springs, hinges, and ball bearings. A garage door with loose or cracked moving parts won’t operate for long. Unless you have experience replacing moving parts on a garage door, hire a contractor to replace the springs, ball bearings, or hinges that appear damaged.
- Check the door’s balance. A balanced garage door is safer and allows the opener to operate efficiently. To assess the balance, pull the release cord that hangs from the door trolley to disengage the opener. Manually lower the door halfway. The door should remain in the halfway pos If it edges upward, the tension springs need adjusting by a qualified garage door technician.
Don’t Neglect Necessary Professional Garage Door Maintenance
If your garage door isn’t working correctly, GDI Garage Door recommends a professional inspection by an experienced garage door contractor to assess your door’s condition.
A professional technician from GDI Garage Door checks all the moving parts on a garage door – including hinges, tracks, rollers, and springs – for signs of wear. The tech will also look for corrosion or rust, make sure weather-stripping and insulation are in excellent condition, and inspect the photoelectric sensors.
GDI Garage Door’s customer service area includes the Bay Area cities of Berkeley, El Cerrito, Fairfield, Hercules, Lafayette, Oakland, Vallejo, and Walnut Creek.
