Learn how to maintain and repair your garage doors with these pro tips.
Most garage doors last between 20 and 30 years. However, they often require repairs and maintenance along the way.
In this post you will find out how to care for your garage doors and maximise their lifespan. Here’s what you need to do:
Limit Usage
Limiting the use of your garage doors might sound strange, but it can help prolong their lives tremendously.
Don’t exit your property through the garage. Instead, get into the habit of leaving the front and side doors. Try to reduce the number of cycles your garage door goes through to between 2 and 4 per day, and only use it for the car, nothing else.
Get Regular Inspections
Garage doors often work perfectly for months and then fail spectacularly, leaving you in the lurch. Therefore, it’s a good idea to arrange regular door inspections by professionals. They can tell you whether you need to replace any parts or if you are likely to encounter reliability issues in the future.
Prudent homeowners perform inspections around twice per year. However, if you use your garage door many times a day, you may need more frequent visits.
Lubricate Your Doors
Keeping rollers and other moving parts lubricated is also good practice. As with other equipment, it keeps everything working beautifully and prevents grinding or abrasion.
You can get garage door-specific lubricants, so check what you need with the manufacturer. Proper grease prevents rust, corrosion and friction damage.
Perform A Balance Safety Check
You should also regularly test your garage door’s balance, checking the two sides hang equally. Unbalanced hardware doesn’t last as long.
To test balance, close your garage door and pull the release handle, disengaging the automatic opening. Then lift the door halfway open manually. It should remain in place. If it creeps up or down, it’s unbalanced and you should schedule a professional service call.
Clean And Paint It
Cleaning your garage door prevents grit buildup that could cause abrasion. It also helps to keep dirt and grime out of any electronic machinery you use to power the door.
Painting your garage door is a good idea, too. UV and pollution can cause damage over time, potentially leading to brittleness, rust spots and chipping of the underlying material.
Always paint your garage doors with outdoor paint suitable for the underlying material. You may need to apply a primer and a top coat to get good results.
Fix The Weatherstripping
Most garage door units come with weatherstripping – a type of rubber that helps to keep out the cold and other elements. Unfortunately, it only lasts around five to ten years so you need to replace it regularly.
Open your garage door and check the condition of the stripping. If you see any cracking, chipping or mould, replace it.
The Pressure Sensor
Lastly, the pressure sensor on your garage door can fail, putting your pets and family at risk. Garage doors should stop opening or closing if they encounter resistance.
To check if the sensor works, place a solid object in the way of your garage door and see if it opens. If the motor struggles because of a faulty sensor, arrange a service with a garage door installation and repair specialist.