10 Things You Can Do To Maintain Your Overhead Door
| Overhead Door Maintenance Tips – Local Chicago Garage Door Repair |
These days, we’re so busy that it’s easy to take an appliance like the garage door for granted. Multiple times a day, we push a little button so that we can enter and exit the garage without having to get out of the vehicle to open the door, but we very rarely think about the mechanical components that make this convenience possible. Until we’re faced with a garage door spring replacement, that is.
Lion Garage Doors Repair is available for all your repair needs in Chicago, from garage door spring replacement to full installation. Contact us for a free estimate today!
To avoid this and over costly repairs, homeowners and landlords should create a preventative maintenance scheduled for their garage door. Here are 10 things that should be on the list.
- Open Your Ears – It’s incredibly simple but most of us don’t take the time to just listen to the signals our garage door is trying to send us. Is it relatively silent, or do you hear terrible scraping and screeching sounds every time the door opens? These could be clues to big problems.
- Use Your Socket Wrench – Your garage door opens and closes thousands of times per year, and each time the vibrations can loosen up the hardware just a little bit. Occasionally tightening the roller brackets and bolts on your garage door can help to reverse this effect.
- Test The Balance – Allowing your garage door to become unbalanced puts unnecessary strain on the springs and pulleys, ultimately shortening the life of the door. “After you disconnect the opener by pulling the release handle (usually a red cord), manually move the door about halfway up. If it doesn’t stay put, the counterweight system (springs) are improperly balanced. Garage door spring adjustment is best left to the professionals.”
- Remember The Rollers – Twice a year, take a look at the rollers that help move your garage door up and down its tracks. If they’re chipped, cracked or worn, give Lion Garage Doors Repair a call for some professional garage door maintenance.
- Replace Weatherstripping – The next time you open your garage door, take a look at the weatherstripping that runs across the bottom of the door. If it seems brittle or is already showing signs of cracking, it’s a good idea to replace it right away. This weather stripping has a big impact on the door’s insulating properties, which is especially important if you use your garage for something other than just parking cars.
- Oil Your Springs – Your torsion and extension springs are the two most important components in your garage door. If they break, the entire door is worthless. Check out our previous post on how to keep your springs properly lubricated.
- Perform A Cable Check – The cable cords are some of the most important and dangerous components of the garage door. Don’t ever tinker with them yourself, but if you notice signs of fraying or other damage, call Lion Garage Doors Repair immediately.
- Test Your Auto-Reverse – Every once in a while, purposefully put a piece of wood or other sturdy object in the path of your garage door and attempt to close it. If they door doesn’t automatically reverse when it comes into contact with the object, it may need to be repaired.
- Clean The Tracks – Every so often, use a clean, damp rag to wipe away debris from the tracks that run up the side of your garage door opening. This will make a clear path for the rollers.
- Give The Door Some TLC – It’s not only the components that need love! While it’s closed, take a look at the door itself. Do you see warping, weather damage, or chipped paint? If so it could be time for a replacement.
