Investing time in regular inspections of your garage door will end up saving you money in the long-term. With the proper preventative maintenance, your garage door will last for years. However, it can quickly become a hazard and lead to costly damage if it’s not regularly inspected.
Let’s take a quick look at some preventative maintenance methods that you can use to extend the life of your garage door. You can also check out our post titled Three Garage Door Maintenance Tips for even more amazing information!
Monthly Inspections
You should visually inspect your garage door at least once a month. With the door closed, check the mechanism. This includes springs, cables, wiring, mounting systems, and hinges. Keep a close eye on signs of wear and aging. If you notice anything that looks unusual, then you should bring in a professional to address it as soon as possible. Catching potential problems at an early stage will allow you to repair them before they become a financial burden.
Perform a Balance Check
You should also perform a balance check of the garage door at least once a month. Close the door and turn off the automatic opener. You will then need to lift the door manually. Is there any resistance or is it easy to lift? If it’s difficult to open, then something is wrong. This will put stress on the automatic opener and cables. Eventually, they would give in to this stress and cause major damage.
Does the door remain open once you have lifted it? If the door does not remain open, then there could be balance issues. These need to be addressed immediately so call a professional.
Inspect the Reversing Mechanism
Next, you should check the reversing mechanism. Place a block or another item under the door and then tell the system to close. If the system is working as designed, then it will reverse before it closes down on the object. If there are issues with the reversing mechanism, then it will close down on the object. This would be a clear safety hazard and should be addressed immediately.
Laser System Test
Testing the laser system is the next step. Use the automatic mechanism to close the garage door and then wave a solid object in front of the eye beam. The garage door should reverse at this point if the system is operating correctly. If it does not reverse, then you need to address this safety hazard immediately. Bring in a professional!
Inspect the Emergency Release System
There should be a brightly colored rope that hangs from the mechanism of the garage door system. When you pull this release, you should be able to manually move the door up and down with ease. If the garage door is tough to move or sticks, then you need to bring in a professional.
Bi-Annual Preventative Maintenance Steps
You should inspect the garage door mechanism. Tighten down any bolts that might have worked their way loose. Lubricate the system by spraying the hinges, rollers, and tracks to make sure that it operates with ease.
These simple steps will save you a lot of money in the long-term because it lowers the risk of severe damage being caused by your garage door.
