Can You Offer any Tips and Tricks to Maintain My Garage Door?
Q: Can you offer any tips and tricks to maintain my garage door?
A: Your garage door can take up between 25% and 40% of the facade of your home and provides an important first impression to your guests.
Routine maintenance of your garage door can keep it working properly and ensure your home looks it’s absolute best.
PLUS, if you're considering selling your home, maintaining your garage door will increase the value of your home!
Here are some tips and tricks to help with maintenance:
KEEP IT CLEAN
Cleaning your garage door may seem pretty obvious, but it's one of the more frequently overlooked areas of the exterior of your home. Warm soapy water and a clear water rinse will work to clean most dirt and grime from the interior and exterior of the door.
Regular cleaning also provides an opportunity to visually inspect the door hardware, wires, and tracks for rust or wear.
It also serves as a handy reminder to re-lubricate the tracks and rolls.
REPLACE THE WEATHER-STRIPPING
Your garage door won't be able to effectively seal the interior of the space if the weather-stripping has gone bad.
Since weather-stripping takes a fair amount of abuse, it can wear out sooner than you might think. If you notice that the weather-stripping is dry, brittle, or falling off the door, it's time to replace it.
CHECK THE BALANCE
One of the easiest ways to check to see if the counterweight spring system is in working order is to manually open the garage about halfway.
If the spring system is working correctly, the door should be able to stay open without assistance.
If you notice that the door won't stay open, it's time to bring in a certified garage door repair technician.
CHECK THE TRACKS AND ROLLERS
The rollers and tracks of your garage door system take a fair amount of abuse, especially if the door is opened and closed frequently (as most garage doors are).
Most roller systems will last about seven years, but may need to be replaced sooner if your garage door gets a lot of use.
Check the tracks to make sure they're free of debris, aren't bent or rusty.
If you notice an issue, it may be time to call in a repair technician.
DOUBLE-CHECK THE SAFETY FEATURES
There are two safety features in more up-to-date garage doors: photocell and mechanical.
If your garage door doesn't already have both photocell and mechanical safety features, you should consider replacing it for an updated model.
To check the mechanical safety features, simply place a small object on the door’s threshold. The door should touch it and reverse its path.
If it doesn't, there may be an issue with a sensor that will require repair.
The photocell safety feature casts an invisible beam from the bottom of the rollers. Simply place your foot across this beam to check to see if the door reverses its path.
If the door goes back up immediately, the photocell is working properly.
Let your home make the right first impression!
If it's time to update your garage door, it's time to hire a professional.
To find the right garage door for your home, come visit our showroom - we're open late until 8pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays!