How To Prevent Problems Occurring In The First Place
A garage door is an expensive piece of equipment, and on many occasions when things go wrong, getting it fixed can put a nasty dent in your bank account. In much the same way that you have your car regularly serviced, there are a number of things you can do yourself to ensure the door continues to work as intended. Alternatively, some of these options will help you to spot a small issue early and deal with it before it develops into an expensive disaster.
The Highway Code
When you were a young child you were taught how to safely cross the road. One of the rules was to stop, look and listen. This is exactly the same process you should take when using your garage door on a daily basis. Stop whatever you are doing for a couple of seconds, watch the door as it opens and closes, and listen for any screeches or horrible noises.
A well fitted garage door will open and close smoothly, so the minute this stops happening, or you hear metal scratching against something, you know there is something amiss. You then have the opportunity to try to find and correct the problem yourself, or call in the experts before serious damage is done.
Once A Month Visual Inspection
Once a month, normally on the first day of every month, so you don’t forget, complete a full visual inspection of your garage door. Stand inside the garage with the door closed and check to see if the door is sitting straight. Look at the pulleys, the springs, the rollers and the cables for any sign of wear and tear.
In the majority of cases, you don’t need to be a qualified garage door technician to see the first signs of a problem developing. But by being proactive, and checking consistently once a month, you stand a much greater chance of catching any problems early and therefore minimizing any potential damage.
Regularly Test The Balance Of Your Garage Door
This is a really simple test to undertake, and yet very few people know about it. When a garage door is properly balanced the weight is distributed evenly, and the motor of the garage door opener won’t have to work particularly hard, to accomplish its goal.
If on the other hand the balance is slightly off, then the motor has to work a lot harder to open and shut the door. When you consider that the average door is opened and closed 1000 times a year this extra wear and tear can shorten the life of the motor drastically.
To check the balance of the door you simply disconnect the opener, which is normally a red cord. Then open the garage door about half way up, stand back and see what happens. If it opens further, or starts to close again, this tells you that it is not in balance, and in this case it is highly recommended to bring in the professionals.
Semi- Annual Lubrication
A garage door contains many moving parts, so it is always important to ensure that all of those parts are well lubricated. Roughly every six months or so buy some spray lubricant, and ensure that you apply it to the hinges, rollers and the tracks. This will help the door to slide up and down more easily, and is a really quick and easy job to do.
Regularly Check and Replace The Weather Stripping
This is another really simple but essential job that needs to be done. The weather strip needs to be maintained in perfect working order if it is to do its job of keeping the elements, such as the wind and the rain outside your home. Over time it will deteriorate, become brittle, and crack. Replacing it is a quick and simple operation, visit your local hardware store, buy a suitable length of it and then remove the old strip and replace it with the new one. Most strips simply slide easily into pre-made grooves. Just ensure you have the wider angle of the flange inside the door.
Properly and Carefully Check The Cables
This is an important check but please exercise caution when completing it. Closely inspect the cables for any sign of wear and tear, or any broken strands, especially near the bottom bracket. Bear in mind that the cables are always under tension so don’t fiddle or mess about with them too much, as they can cause serious or even fatal injuries if they snap under the tension.
If you do spot signs of wear and tear, contact a professional garage door installer, to come and replace the cables urgently. This will prevent damage to your vehicle and more importantly keep your family safe.
Check and Clean The Tracks
The tracks at the side of the garage door can get clogged up with debris and dirt, which will then stop the door from opening smoothly. Regularly check the tracks and remove any such debris or detritus to ensure the smooth operation of your garage door.
Don’t Forget The Door Itself
When it comes to their garage door maintenance program, a lot of home owners forget to maintain or check the door itself. Wooden doors can rot, or warp, metal doors can rust, so it is just as important to keep the door itself clean and well protected against the elements.
Not only will this help the longevity of the door itself, but when you consider that the garage door can account for nearly 1/3rd of the front of your home, a clean and well maintained garage door can make a huge difference to the look of your property.
All of the above jobs are quick and simple to do yourself, but if you are time poor, and want to ensure that the job is done properly, then it might be worthwhile investing in a maintenance program. Our team of professional garage door experts will come and complete all of the required checks on an annual basis, ensuring that any problems are dealt with quickly before they have a chance to develop any further.