Proper Garage Door Maintenance for the Homeowner

Just like anything else that’s frequently used in your home, your garage door needs a bit of TLC on occasion and routine maintenance every once in a while to stay in top working order. If you’re like most people, your garage door goes up and down several times every single day, and over the course of its life, that can slowly cause problems.

Along with performing these maintenance steps yourself, you should also have your garage door inspected yearly by a professional garage door repair service. This is a short, low-cost inspection that can catch any minor problems before they become major ones.

Make sure to identify any loose hardware pieces and tighten them.

Your garage door mechanism is made up of a lot of moving parts, including nuts, bolts and screws. Between the vibration of the door’s action and the motion of the parts that control it, these pieces can begin to loosen, resulting in poor performance of the door. This is especially true if the door wasn’t installed properly at the outset. Be sure to routinely inspect your door’s screws on all areas, including the door opener, hinges, and brackets. You could also potentially identify places where the screws or nuts are missing. If that’s the case then you need to replace these right away.

Keep moisture to a minimum to prevent mold from taking up residence there.

Mold grows in moist, humid environments, so the interior of a garage in Georgia is an ideal location for mold growth. Mold can be very damaging and even dangerous, as mold spores can make you sick. It also can grow rapidly if given the proper environment. Once mold has really taken up residence, it can be more difficult to get rid of.

To remove mold spores if you find them, mix up a bucket of hot water with a dash of bleach or a cup of vinegar. Be sure to wear rubber gloves while performing this process. Using a sponge with a scrubbing side, gently scrub the area of mold with circular motions until gone. When you’re done, be sure to thoroughly dry the area.

If you notice any puddles in your garage and you’re not sure what the cause is, it’s important to trace the water back to its source, especially if it’s related to your garage door or roof. Make sure that if any rain gets on the inside of your door that you wipe it down promptly. This is important not only for your door, but also for your entire garage and the contents inside. This leads into our next tip: weather stripping.

Inspect the door’s weather stripping and replace when necessary.

The weather stripping around your door, which is usually black and made of rubber, is what keeps all of this moisture and condensation out, so it’s important to identify any problems with your weather stripping and replace it promptly. Your garage door should have weather stripping around the bottom and along the sides. Make sure it’s not sticking out or jammed up in the wrong spots around the door. Weather stripping is usually sold by the foot, so you can have pieces cut to fit any specific areas that needs fixing instead of replacing all of it.

Lubricate the parts of your garage door mechanism.

This is a simple job that you only have to worry about once a year, but it’s essential to the proper performance of your garage door over time. Best of all, it only takes a few minutes. Signs that your garage door is in need of lubricant are squeaking during the operation of the door, slower movement, or sticking on the track. Use a spray lubricant or lithium grease to coat the springs, hinges, and rollers well. You can purchase these products inexpensively from any hardware store. Don’t get grease on the tracks, and be sure to wipe it away if you do accidentally. After applying the lubricant sufficiently, raise and lower your door a few times, which will spread all of the lubricant out evenly to the parts. Once you’re done, mark it on your calendar for next year.

Keep an eye out for any issues with performance.

The next time you open and close your garage door, pay attention to how it operates. If you notice the door sticking, unusual new noises like grinding or rattling, or that the door appears to be a bit crooked, you need to investigate further. There may be debris, such as tree branches or dirt, that’s found a way along the tracks. Your springs may be showing signs of wear. Or there could be loose wiring.

If the issue seems to be more complicated than a simple cleaning or basic fix, it’s best to leave the job up to a garage door company. They know what to do to ensure that your garage door is repaired and restored to its optimal function. Problems that could necessitate a service call include the door being off track, issues with the motor, or problems with the cables. It’s best to get these things checked out right away before the issue progresses into a more serious one as they usually won’t resolve by themselves.

It’s very important not to try to tackle those problems by yourself. Most people don’t enjoy having to call in a repair technician, but with some of these problems it’s crucial. That’s because garage door parts, especially springs and cables, can be extremely dangerous for the unexperienced person to attempt to work with. You could not only be risking harm to yourself, but also potentially cause damage to the door or the opening mechanism that would then require even more costly repairs.

By performing these basic maintenance tips on a regular basis and making them a part of your basic homeowner routine, you will extend the life of your door and optimize its performance.