What's the Best Way to Properly Care for My Garage Door?
Q: What’s the best way to properly care for my garage door?
A: With proper garage door care and maintenance, your garage door will perform reliably for years to come - especially if it’s a Richards-Wilcox door! Depending on the environmental elements you live within, here are some care and maintenance recommendations.
Winter Environment
For areas where winter road salt is used, here are recommendations on how to provide garage door care.
Every 6 Months
Wash the garage door and windows with a mild soap (such as car wash soap or dish washing soap) and water. Wash both interior and exterior. Rinse thoroughly. Do not use harsh or abrasive detergents. Do not use a pressure washer to rinse door.
Lubricate garage door track and hinges with silicone or Teflon based spray. Do not use WD-40 type lubricant (oil-based), or grease. Then open and close the garage door to distribute the lubricant.
Every 12 Months
Inspect garage door springs and hardware for signs of wear. Avoid any contact with the torsion springs, as they are under extreme tension.
As Needed
Clean off road salt from garage door interior and exterior surfaces. Use a mild soap (such as car wash soap or dish washing soap) and water. Rinse thoroughly. Do not use harsh or abrasive detergents and do not use a pressure washer to rinse the door.
If surface rust appears or you think there may be any issues, immediately contact Garage Door Canada for inspection and garage door repair options.
Coastal Environments & Harsh Environments
For areas with exposure to sea salt, fog, a high level of dirt, or other airborne substances, here are recommendations on how to provide garage door care.
At Installation
Apply a good quality car wax to the garage door immediately after installation; unless you are going to paint the door. Follow car wax application instructions - but DO NOT APPLY WAX TO ACCUFINISH®, ARMORFINISH®, OR ANODIZED ALUMINUM DOORS!
For ArmorBrite™ (powder coated) doors wait a minimum of 3 months to apply wax.
Every 6 Months / Every 12 Months / As Needed
Same instructions as above for Winter Environment.
Painting Instructions
The exterior and interior of Richards-Wilcox garage doors are painted with a baked-on finish, so no additional painting is required. However, if another colour is desired, the following instructions should be followed:
Clean the surface of the door with a powder cleanser, like Comet, to remove protective wax, as well as dirt and grease. Rinse thoroughly and allow to dry.
Use acrylic latex water-based exterior paint. Apply according to paint and manufacturer’s instruction. Any high quality exterior latex paint is acceptable.
Do not use oil based or any “rust inhibitive” paint.
Do not paint in direct sunlight or when the door surface is warm to the touch, as lap marks will result.
Brush application is recommended.