The garage can be a multi-purpose area of the house. It is used for storage, parking, home gym, and serves as a space for all sorts of projects. With all that usage, the garage can go through plenty of wear and tear.
But other than maintaining your garage and having a healthy internal environment, you need to take care of the garage door as well.
Since the walls can handle environmental conditions or wear and tear better than the doors, the door needs regular care. Without proper maintenance, you might need to call in a garage door repair service.
To keep your garage door moving like it should, check out the following maintenance tips.
Carefully Inspect the Garage Door
To start, you should try opening and closing your garage door. But when you do, carefully listen to the sounds and watch the movement of the door. If something doesn’t look right or it is making some odd sounds, this could be a sign of trouble.
Check out the cables, pulleys, and springs around the system to make sure it’s all symmetrical and in good condition. If your garage door is well-maintained, it should quietly go up and down without any jerkiness in the movement.
Clean The Tracks
If the door is not moving up and down as well or as fast as it should move, the first thing you can do is some cleaning. Check the tracks on both sides of the garage door. Since they are exposed to the external environment, they can have dust, debris, or dirt preventing the door from going up and down properly.
Sometimes, the tracks can also bend inwards or their alignment can be changed. If you have a level, you can use them to make sure the tracks are perfectly vertical and straight. If not, consider calling a professional before the door gets damaged.
Lubricate The Moving Areas
Since your garage door rolls up and down, it has many moving parts. When you open the door, these parts need to move in perfect sync to have the most efficient movement. For that, these parts need to be properly lubricated.
Twice a year, you can apply some quality lubricant. Usually, these come in the form of a spray, such as white lithium grease. After applying, make sure to wipe away the excess grease on the sides.
If the doors seem to get stuck or these moving parts are not moving at all, you can use a penetrating oil like WD-40 to take care of the problem.
Experiment WIth The Auto-Reverse Feature
Automatic doors have an excellent feature, they can go the other way if something is obstructing their path. For instance, your door will open back up if you were trying to close it but there was a box in its way.
With this amazing feature, you can keep your things safe especially when the button gets pushed accidentally. It can also help keep your car safe from unnecessary damage and prevent any injuries to you or your loved ones.
That’s why you should test this feature regularly to make sure the system is working. You can check the pressure sensor by placing a spare 2×4 flat board on the ground. With the photoelectric sensors, try moving your leg into the door’s path.
