Like Olympic athletes, your garage door is likely exercised every day. Athletes must maintain their health to keep their joints and muscles working in top-notch form and your garage door needs your attention for the same reason. Don’t wait until there is a problem with it and you’re in a hurry. Regular maintenance helps prevent hang-ups with your garage door which can be frustrating at the least and dangerous at the worst.
Check the joints. Make sure the hinges are secure. Tighten any loosened bolts on the hinges. Do NOT attempt to adjust the bolts on the torsion springs. The bolts on the springs are under an incredible force; they can be dangerous to try to adjust. Leave them to the trained professionals.
Cleanse. Particularly, clean the eye sensors with a damp cotton swab. Clean the lens on the overhead light and empty any bugs that have collected in it. The door tracks may be cleaned with carburetor cleaner, but do not grease or oil them. Garage doors should move up and down the tracks easily as long as the door is properly balanced.
Check the balance. Disconnect the door opener and manually check the balance. Raise the door halfway up. It should stay in place. Raise it almost all the way up. If it moves on up just a little on its own, that’s good. See the manufacturer’s manual for more detailed information about checking the balance.
Boost the energy. Athletes need electrolytes. Your garage door opener needs batteries replaced periodically. Also, you can disconnect the overhead lifting unit from the electricity and make sure the back-up battery is working. Replace if necessary.
How are the reflexes? The eye sensors are an important safety feature. Make sure they’re aligned. Use the remote to close the door. Wave something (like a broom or rake—not a body part) between the eye sensors. The door should immediately stop. Another safety feature is the contact reverse. Put something like a board on edge or a block under the door. Then use the remote to close the door. When it bumps the object, it should promptly reverse direction.
Keeping your door and all the attached mechanisms in good shape prevents frustration when you’re too busy to deal with it and helps keep your family and pets safe. It’s easy to do.
Straight Up Doors has a great website including a FAQs section with handy videos about door maintenance and more. When you’re ready for a new door or if you need door maintenance, contact us. Our trained professionals will answer any questions and provide a free quote for any work or replacement you decide you need.
