Garage door maintenance will keep your equipment moving up and down smoothly. In addition to ensuring optimal performance, you will minimize wear and tear and extend the service life of your garage door opener. Most homeowners enjoy saving money on household maintenance, and your garage door opener is a quick and easy way to accomplish that.
Why Garage Door Maintenance Is Important
With the increase in home designs with a front garage, many people use the garage as their primary entry. Whether you have a front garage or an unattached rear garage, having a fully functioning garage door system makes life easier.
Because an attached garage allows direct access to your home, security is a primary reason to maintain the door opening system. If your door doesn’t close, your home may be easier to enter. You also store lawn and garden equipment in the garage and various hand tools. A properly operating door keeps your expensive tools safe and secure.
To make it easy, we recommend using the seasons as a guide. In the spring, inspect and service your garage door when you mow your lawn for the first time. In the fall, when you cut your yard for the last time and perform winterization on your equipment — do another round of garage door maintenance to ensure operation through the cold winter months.
We’ve included some tips below if you aren’t sure what to check and how to check it. Ask them if you would like our technicians to go through some maintenance tips with you during their next service call.
6 Tips for Garage Door Maintenance
Below are six maintenance tasks you can do twice yearly to keep your garage door system working efficiently and safely. They take only minutes to perform but can add years to the life of your equipment.
Lubricate All Moving Parts
Using a lightweight oil, locate and lubricate moving parts, including:
- Rollers
- Chains
- Hinge Pins
- Release cable
Lightweight oils are available at your local auto parts stores, online retailers, home improvement warehouses, and grocery stores. One familiar product is WD-40. It is inexpensive and sold in cans with an attached directional spray tube. The can allows you to direct the lubricant to the area without much overspray.
An alternative is to purchase a product containing white lithium grease (WD-40 also produces one of these great products). White lithium grease is excellent for lubricating things with metal-to-metal contact. It has more staying power than regular WD-40 because it sprays on a bit thicker. It is ideal for keeping your rollers rolling!
***We do not receive product endorsement commissions. You may use any brand of lubricant that you prefer. We merely use WD-40 products as examples due to their wide availability and brand recognition. We also found a great review of lubricant products for garage door lubrication if you are interested in some additional reading.***
Check and Lubricate the Tracks
Checking the tracks may require a flashlight. The tracks guide the door along its path while opening and closing. Over time, vibrations from the regular operation of your door can loosen the attaching bolts, causing more vibration and possibly allowing your door to “jump” out of the tracks.
Check and tighten the bolts along the track on both sides of your garage door. When you are done, use your handy spray lubricant to apply a light coat of lubricant along the entire length of the tracks. If your door alignment is out of whack or off the track, please contact On Track Garage Doors to schedule a service appointment with our technicians. We have the tools and necessary equipment to realign your garage door quickly.
Inspect the Weather Stripping
All garage doors should have weather stripping along the bottom edge. The purpose of weather seals is to keep the weather out. They serve as a barrier to repel water from heavy rainfall or accumulation due to flooding. They also keep the wind from blowing debris and dust into your garage.
To check the weather stripping, open the door and run a gloved hand along the length of the weather stripping with the door in the raised position. Press and squeeze the material to check for weak or dry-rotted sections. The weather seal should be attached along the entire edge surface.
If your weather stripping needs replacement, contact On Track Garage Doors at (914) 301-2026 for a service appointment.
Paint and Seal Your Garage Door
Most garage doors have a primer coat of paint. If your door has never been painted, it might be time to consider this quick task. Paint seals natural wood doors and protects metal doors from rust and weathering. It will also protect the equipment and vehicles you store in your garage. Before painting, sand any existing rust spots and reply a good primer paint to the area. For wooden doors, caulk or apply a wood filler to any gaps or cracks before priming and painting.
Inspect the Hinge Pins
Hinge pins are probably the most ignored part of garage door maintenance. These are between each panel on the inside of the door. You want to ensure that the pins are not damaged and give them a little spritz of lubrication (it doesn’t take much). If there are signs of rust, use steel wool to remove the rust before lubricating the pin.
Check the Auto Reverse Safety Mechanism
All garage doors that roll off the assembly line have safety features. The auto-reverse mechanism keeps the door from closing if anyone or anything is in the door’s path. Grab a lightweight rake to test the infrared sensors on your auto-reverse mechanism. Activate your garage door from open to closing. Using the rake’s handle, begin near the bottom of the door next to the track and sweep upward to interrupt the sensor light. This should activate the auto-reverse, and the door should reopen.
If your door does not reverse, you should contact On Track Garage Doors at (914) 301-2026 to schedule a service appointment. This safety feature keeps your door from closing on small children and equipment. Please consider upgrading to a newer, safer garage door opening system if you have an older system.
When to Call in the Professionals
You should schedule garage door maintenance with a professional technician at least yearly in addition to the routine maintenance you perform as a homeowner. On Track Garage Doors offers service plans that keep maintenance affordable and on schedule and extend the life of your expensive equipment. To schedule your free estimate or complete inspection, call On Track Garage Doors at (914) 301-2026. Our knowledgeable technician will inspect your garage door system and develop a custom maintenance plan based on how you use your garage.