By Justus Scout
Imagine you’re running late for work, only to be delayed by a squeaky, scraping sound of your garage door. As you struggle to have it open, you realize the pulleys, springs, and cables are in bad shape.
It is advisable to do a garage door inspection twice a year to avoid significant repairs every too often. Consult residential garage door repair McKinney Texas anytime you need a professional to handle your door. It is also vital to furnish yourself with preventive maintenance tips to ensure your garage door is always at its best.
- Lubricate all the moving parts
Lubricating reduces stress on the door rollers, opener’s chain, and drive screws, thus prolonging the system’s life. Apply a small amount of high-quality spray lubricant on the opener’s screw and coat the overhead springs. Do not forget the hinges and rollers too. Then, wipe the parts clean and apply grease.
If the torsion spring is rusty, rub a little oil on it. However, do not lubricate the belt-drive opener. You can get high-quality lithium grease from specialist residential garage door repair McKinney Texas.
- Check and test the Garage Door Balance
The garage door will not serve you for long if it’s not well balanced. You’ll know this if you realize you have to use a little more force than before to open or close the door.
To confirm that the garage door is balanced, pull the release gear to disconnect the opener. Open the door halfway, and then lower it to the same level. Repeat this pattern two more times. If the door begins to ride up or falls, you need to adjust the spring tension.
If it is balanced, it should hold the halfway position without your hands holding it. Replace old and worn-out springs need be replaced. Call a garage door expert to help you do it.
- Test the Auto-Reverse Safety Features
There are two testing mechanisms; mechanical test method and photocell. The mechanical feature means just that, take a piece of wood and place it on the ground underneath the door. If the garage door automatically reverses once it comes into contact with the wood, your door is okay.
A modern door opener can use a photocell testing mechanism. The photoelectric system has beam sensors on either of its sides. It is meant to detect people and pets that might be walking beneath the door.
Activate the door to let it open, then, place your foot underneath its path. If it’s functioning correctly, it should sense your foot, reverse, and head upward.
During installation, consult your garage door specialist to show you how to adjust this function. You can also read your door opener instruction manual to help you out. If your garage door opener has served you for more than 20 years, it lacks this safety feature. Consult your garage door repair services near you to get a new one.
- Inspect the door tracks
Check both sides of the garage door and clear the tracks free of rust and debris. You can use a level to make sure the tracks are perfectly vertical. If there’s a need to make adjustments, that’s okay. But major adjustments will require the services of a professional technician.
- Inspect and Replace worn out Rollers
Rollers along the edge of the door should be replaced every five years or so. In the meantime, inspect them for cracks, chippings, and worn out parts. Schedule a professional to check the rollers at least twice a year. This service is necessary whether your rollers are made of steel or nylon.
You can remove the brackets holding them to the garage door by yourself and replace as needed.
Be warned! On each side of the garage door are roller brackets. If you remove the bottom set, you risk damaging it or causing an accident because they are attached to lift cables under extreme tension.
- Check the cables and pulleys
Lift cables and pulleys provide a connection between the springs and the door. They, in turn, help to lower or lift the garage door safely. Inspect these lift cables and pulleys regularly to find any broken stands or damage at the bottom roller bracket.
Garage doors have extension and torsion springs. Extension springs are long and skinny, running alongside the horizontal part of the door track. Torsion springs, on the other hand, are found above the door opening and mounted to a metal rod.
No one should tinker with cables and springs because they are under extreme tension. If there are broken stands, call in a garage door technician for assistance.
- Replace the rubber weather stripping
The rubber element attached along the door’s bottom is meant to keep dust and dirt out. Inspect it twice a year to ensure that it is not worn out.
Other types of doors could have weather-stripping along the sides to keep the cold out. Check it too and replace the entire stripping if it’s too damaged. If there are only a few loose spots, use high-quality rubber glue to reattach.
- Groom the door regularly
No matter the material used to make the garage door, it will need constant spruce up to serve you for long. For steel doors check out for rusty spots that require painting. Fiberglass material only needs cleaning with a multi-purpose detergent.
If the door is made from wood, pay particular attention to locate any signs of cracking, warping, or water-related damage.
- Tighten up Loose Hardware
A garage door moves up and down countless times each year. The door is in constant motion and frequent vibration. As such, the door’s hardware loosens up. Check the fasteners anchoring the door opener. Check the brackets holding the tracks to the ceiling and the wall. Even when you think they are looking okay, take the socket wrench and tighten all the bolts. Better be safe than sorry.
- Look and listen to the door in motion
A well-lubricated garage door is relatively quiet and glides up and down without any jerky movements. Are the pulleys, springs, and cables symmetrical? Observe them every time you use the door. You’ll prevent further damage to the door.
