Five Important Garage Door Maintenance Tips
Your garage door is the largest moving part and has the highest chance of unnoticed wear and tear in your home. On the average, your overhead garage door goes up and down more than a thousand times a year. However, garage door repair and maintenance is often overlooked by homeowners. There are at least five important garage door maintenance tips that should be done at least once or twice every quarter:
Tightening and Cleaning the Hardware
A garage door is usually opened up and closed down for many times a day. Constant movement and vibration can loosen the hardware. You need to tighten up roller brackets, hinges, and bolts regularly. If there are cracks and rust, soak them in kerosene and clean using a small brush or steel wool. An old toothbrush works great too. Some cracks, however, cannot be cleaned by kerosene. Cracked and worn out rollers should be replaced with new ones.
Lubricating the Moving Parts
The moving parts such as rollers, hinges, and other latches also need to be lubricated regularly. One useful sign to know when it is time to re-apply lubricant is hearing a noisy or squeaky sound when opening and closing the garage door. Applying lubricant to these moving parts should be a part of the regular garage door repair. Keep in mind that you need to clean these parts before applying a lubricant.
Clearing and Cleaning the Tracks
You also need to regularly clear and clean the tracks. Clear each track on each side of the door from dust, dead insects, and other debris. Some homeowners are misled by the noisy garage door, thinking that noise comes from the tracks. They end up spraying lubricant on the tracks. The lubricant actually hastens the accumulation of dust and other debris. Rather than spraying with lubricant, you should wipe the inside portion of the track using a damp cloth.
Replacing Weather Seals
Change cracked rubber weather strip at the bottom of the door. You can buy weather strips in hardware and home improvement stores. Cut the right size and apply at the frame of the garage door, in between door panels, down to the bottom of the door.
Testing and Resetting Balance
Finally, the key to prolonging the life of a garage door is to always keep it balanced. An unbalanced garage door puts more strain into the garage door opener. Try to reset the balance of the door manually until the springs are properly aligned. In case of misaligned tracks, you may need to have it serviced by a garage door technician for more extensive garage door repair.
Garage door repair and maintenance should be a regular task for homeowners. You need to do these five tips regularly to keep your garage door in its best shape and prolong its functionality.
Contact a company like Doors Unlimited for more information and assistance.
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