With the new year close at hand, you're probably thinking about what to put on your list of New Year's resolutions. If you haven't given much thought to your garage door's maintenance, then now is the chance to put it at the top of your list. Here are a few basic maintenance tips you can follow as you usher in a new year:
Keep It Clean
Cleanliness is always next to goodliness, especially when it comes to your garage door. Dirt and grime not only makes it look less attractive, but it can also impact its operation. Use a mixture of mild detergent and water to scrub grime from the outside of the door. For the interior, watch for any lubricant overrun and remove it with a clean, lint-free cloth.
Watch for Broken Hardware
See a frayed cable, a busted roller or a bent bracket? Make sure you have these problems repaired as soon as possible. Broken garage door hardware can lead to increased wear and tear on other surviving components, plus it could also pose a safety hazard to you and others.
Tighten Up Loose Nuts and Bolts
The act of opening and closing your garage door can cause constant vibrations that eventually loosen up fasteners. Take the time to inspect each and every nut and bolt. If you do find one that's loose, carefully tighten it up. If you encounter fasteners marked in red or sporting a warning tag attached, it's usually a sign that only a professional should adjust these screws.
Don't forget that you can use rubber washers to isolate the garage door tracks and other hardware from the vibrations of opening and closing the door.
Keep It Lubricated
Proper lubrication is also the key to maintaining your garage door. Use white lithium grease or a silicon-based spray to keep the rollers, hinges, springs and other moving parts well-lubricated. Never use water-displacing solvents or lubricants to oil up your garage door. Use a clean towel to prevent lubricant overspray from spreading to other parts of your garage door.
Keep It Balanced
Keeping your garage door properly balanced ensures that it opens and closes smoothly. Over time, your garage door can lose its balance, which could make it harder for your garage door opener to properly open and close the door.
To test your garage door's balance, make sure the garage door is closed. Next, pull the emergency release handle to disconnect the garage door opener from the garage door itself. Afterwards, slowly lift the garage door until its halfway open. Note the feel of the garage door as you open it – if it feels like it wants to spring up or feels unusually heavy, you may need to adjust its balance. Finally, lift the garage door all the way up and then let it go. With the proper balance, the garage door should stay open by itself.
Keep It Safe
If you have a garage door opener, then there are two crucial safety features you'll want to occasionally test: the auto-reverse mechanism and the photoelectric sensor or "photo eye."
For the auto-reverse mechanism, make sure the garage door is open. Place a 2-inch by 4-inch piece of wood on the floor in the path of the garage door. Push the wall button or use the remote to close the door. A properly working auto-reverse mechanism will automatically raise the door once it strikes the wood. If it fails to do so, don't hesitate to have a technician take a look at the problem.
For the photo eye, make sure the garage door is in the open position. Grab a broomstick or a similarly long object and close the door. As the door is closing, interrupt the infrared beam connection by waving the broomstick in front of one of the photo eyes. The door should reverse direction when the beam is broken. Otherwise, the photo eyes may require readjustment or cleaning. Go to website for more information.
