The garage door is one of the most recognizable aspects of an American home, and the garage itself is usually your first line of defense between your living space and the elements as well as other dangers like wild animals, or potential thieves. Many people store their cars or motorcycles inside when they come home from work or use it as storage for Seasonal Decorations and old keepsakes they otherwise don’t know what to do with.
Whatever the case may be, you’ll want to make sure your garage door is maintained properly so that you can have easy access to this space. Following are some common areas of concern when it comes to garage door maintenance.
Also Read: Shipping Container as a Garage
Your Garage Door Has a One Track Mind
One of the central components of a smoothly operational garage door is the metal tracks your door’s rollers sit in. That is what allows it to open and close whether you use the automatic opener or you have an old-fashioned manual lift door. If your rollers become dislodged, either due to impact damage or neglect, it could be knocked off the tracks, making it extremely difficult or next to impossible to open and close.
You’ll want to make sure your tracks are straight and rollers properly maintained so that you can keep your vehicles and stored items safe from the elements.
It’s a big job, and if you’re not comfortable doing that yourself, you can call up any local Garage Door Repair company to do it for you.
Bad Springs Don’t Bounce Back
The springs on your garage door absorb the tension from the weight of your door so that the motor doesn’t have to overload itself trying to open it alone. Also if you need to pull the emergency release for whatever reason, an average person can safely open and close their garage door without having to strain themselves or risk the door slamming down on them causing injury or worse.
You’ll want to keep tabs on your springs and check for rusty or worn connections that could compromise the tension system. While some people may take a DIY approach to spring repair, considering the forces involved this service best left to the professionals.
Noisy Drums Are for Concerts, Not Your Garage Door
As the years go by, you may not even notice or pay attention to something as small as the drums on your garage door pulley system. Then, one day when you press the open button you think to yourself, “when did it get so loud?” That is because lack of maintenance, the elements, dust, and possibly dead bugs may have worn down the drums so that they no longer pull the tension cable smoothly.
Your drums connected to the cables that are hooked up to the electric opener mechanism, so these are the front line of a smooth operation and should be inspected and lubricated often.
Don’t Get Bent Out of Shape
Accidents happen all the time. Perhaps you hit the accelerator instead of the brake, or severe weather threw broken tree limbs at your house. Whatever the reason, garage door panels can and will get bent out of shape from time to time. That is important to take care of as soon as possible because bent panels can affect the rollers attached to them and can cause your door to come off the tracks.
If damage occurred to the middle panel and you have a locking handle mechanism you may well need to buy and replace the handle or call a qualified Locksmith to do it for you so that you can both secure your garage and open it properly.
Some Parts Can Just Be Better
Your garage door can be brand new and work perfectly but when you listen to it open you think to yourself, “it can always be quieter, can’t it?” Standard parts are usually built to exact specifications to ensure proper operation, but you can always upgrade to premium and high-performance parts depending on your needs.
Instead of settling for springs that last three or four years, why not get high-quality springs that last ten years or more. It’s a minimal investment but one that ultimately pays for itself in the long run. Perhaps you have a spouse or roommate working the graveyard shift, and they need to open the garage without waking up the entire house, so you upgrade your standard drums to ‘ultra quiet’ drums to reduce the overall noise of an opening garage door.
There are many parts of many budgets, and all can contribute to an optimally functioning garage door.
The Opener Isn’t Such a Great Performer
The heart of your automatic garage door system is the electrically driven opener that you’ll usually see hanging from the ceiling. That is the powerful motor that pulls the tension cables which lifts and lowers your door with each operation, but like with any component that has moving parts, debris, the elements and simple neglect can lead to a host of problems.
You’ll want a professional to service your opener, whether it comes down to changing gears, servicing the wiring or reconnecting tension wires. You want the opener in perfect working order so that you can leave and enter your garage worry free.
No matter what steps you decide to take, simple routine inspections and maintenance can go a long way in ensuring your home’s most noticeable feature remains in proper working order. Don’t hesitate to call a qualified repair professional to help you keep your door functioning at peak efficiency.