If you are a homeowner, it is very likely that you will be required to do some “general maintenance” on your garage door at some point. You will want to ensure that the unit continues to function properly and that there are no safety concerns involved. Fortunately, it does not take too much in most cases to get the job done. It is also something that can be easily prevented from occurring.
The first thing that you will want to be certain of when undertaking “maintenance” is that you lubricate the door’s mechanisms. This includes the hinges, rollers, and any moving parts. You should lubricate them as often as possible, especially if you have a particularly hard or difficult time operating the door. This helps to make sure that the door does not break or become damaged when it is in use. You can choose to have specialized oil delivered to the location of your choice or you can do it yourself with an inexpensive homemade version.
Be sure to check the pulley system on a regular basis. Most garage doors will include a safety lip on the system that prevents the door from becoming jerky when the gate closed. Over time, this lip can become severely worn which will cause the door to slam unexpectedly when the gate is closed.
Make sure that the brackets that hold down the sash are strong. If these are not holding down the sash, then this can cause the sash to fall. In addition, they need to be strong enough that you do not have to remove them just to pull the sash up or down. You can usually purchase this part at the same store where you purchased the door. If you did not buy this part when the garage door was new, you will probably have to purchase it after you have installed it.
Check the weather stripping on the door. This piece of hardware is there to stop the door from becoming extremely hot in the summer and extremely cold in the winter. If it becomes damaged, then the door will not close or open properly. Make sure that it is not bent or warped in any way. It should move smoothly and latch easily.
Garage doors are used often, so there is a tendency for them to start to look worn out quickly. In order to prevent this from happening to you, it is important to make sure that they are cleaned on a regular basis. There are many cleaning products available, as well as specialized tools that are designed to clean garage siding and metal tracks.
It is important to remember that most general maintenance tasks can be accomplished by using household products around the house. You do not have to go out and purchase expensive cleaning items. You may want to purchase some of the products that are sold at the home improvement stores, but they can usually be obtained at a reasonable price from your regular hardware store.
When you perform these general maintenance for your garage door on a regular basis, it will help lengthen the life of the equipment. Your garage will not be a danger of falling apart because of improper maintenance. In fact, the majority of repairs that need to be done to your garage can be done with what you have in the house. If you do not want to spend money on specialized items, you can simply perform the general task of cleaning or lubricating. If you are constantly performing this task, it will eventually lead to the garage door slowing down and needing more maintenance.
