3 Garage Door Maintenance Tips Every Homeowner Should Know

Looking for handy garage door maintenance tips?

Generally, garage doors are opened and closed multiple times a day. But, most garage door owners don’t think twice about maintaining them – as long as the door works, then everything is fine.

But the problem with thinking this way is that your garage door might be experiencing minor or major issues that could lead to malfunctions. These malfunctions can endanger you, your family, and your vehicles. Additionally, avoiding these issues may lead to more expensive repairs and replacements down the line.

Fortunately, you can avoid all the above issues by scheduling regular garage door maintenance to ensure your garage door is in good condition.

Here are three tips for garage door maintenance:

Washing Your Garage Door

Here’s how you can clean different types of garage doors:

• Wood: Wooden garage doors should be cleaned at least one a year with a cloth and mild detergent. Remember to rinse the door down with a hose once you’re done cleaning it.
  
• Steel: Use a cloth and a mild cleaning solution to wipe down the garage door. Use an anti-rust solution if the door has visible rust.
• Aluminum: Wet a cloth with a vinegar and water solution and wipe down the surface gently. 

Inspecting the Garage Door for Balance Issues and Damages

If you notice that your garage door is crooked or unbalanced, it’s possible that the springs are damaged, there’s a build-up of direct along the track, or the lifting cables have snapped.

If there’s a buildup of dirt, you can clean it with a small brush. For the other more serious issues like broken springs and cables, you’ll need to contact a professional garage door technician to get the job done.

Don’t try to do it yourself because you could damage your garage door parts and injure yourself. 

Here are some other warning signs your garage door needs maintenance:

• Loud bang after you close the garage door
• Shaking and loud noises when you open and close the door
• Off-the-track rollers, cables, and chain, belt, or screw drive system
• Too fast or too slow movement of the garage door
• Unresponsive automatic opener
• Garage door refusing to open or close properly

Lubricating Hardware

Your garage door’s tracks could be damaged or loose if it's making strange noises when you open and close it. When lubricating the tracks, you should use a product with lithium grease or silicone. Spray the product along the tracks and rollers. If you notice rust in the rollers, spray the grease in between the roller and the axle to help it perform its job more freely. However, severely corroded metal rollers should be replaced by a professional garage door company.

Check for Loose Bolts

Loose bolts are not an uncommon problem over time. With the amount of times a garage door is raised and lowered every day over the years, bolts holding the brackets to the door will tend to loosen ever so slowly. If you don’t inspect the bolts annually, you’ll only realize there’s a problem when a bracket detaches from a garage door panel, and serious damage or injury can occur. A professional inspection performed annually will help find and correct this issue before it becomes a major problem.

Use these garage door preventative maintenance tips to keep your garage door in fantastic condition. 

But if you need garage door opener maintenance, a brand new garage door, or general maintenance, visit the Tri-Lakes Garage Doors website.

We specialize in new garage door installation, custom garage doors, and repair and maintenance for homes and businesses. Our team of experts have the experience and skills required to diagnose any problem with the electrical components of the entire garage door opener system.

Contact Tri-Lakes Garage Doors today to get all the routine garage door maintenance tips you need!