Garage Door Maintenance
Garage doors are often among the most neglected parts of a home. From making squeaking noises to hanging lopsided, your garage door is perfectly capable of giving you a sign (or many) that it needs some attention.
Fortunately, regular garage door maintenance helps to prevent the need to repair or replace your door’s parts. It also improves safety as a properly functioning door is less likely to malfunction and cause damage. It also improves your curb appeal.
Below, our experts provide garage some DIY door maintenance tips, as well as discussing what a professional should do, to help your door last for years to come in the following sections:
DIY Maintenance Tips for Your Garage Door Material Type
Although some tasks should be done by a professional (discussed later), there are a variety of maintenance tasks that you can perform on your own. A key thing to understand is that the type of garage door you own affects the way you maintain it. Here are some garage door maintenance tips to consider for steel, full-view aluminum, and wood doors, three of our most popular garage door types.
Steel Garage Door Maintenance
To properly maintain steel doors, you should:
- Ensure that your doors have a protective finish to prevent weather damage.
- Keep the exterior of your door free of any loose debris by removing it with a broom or similar object.
- Wash the exterior of your door with mild detergent, warm water, and a soft cloth. Avoid harsh chemicals, as they may erode your door’s finish.
- Address any scrapes or dents right away to avoid compromising the functionality of your door.
- Lubricate your door’s parts.
- Check your door regularly for any signs of rust.
- Examine the weather stripping to make sure you are reaping the insulation benefits of your door.
Full-view Garage Door Maintenance
To prolong the life of your full-view doors, you should:
- Clean your door’s glass with a glass cleaner regularly.
- Ensure that your door’s glass is intact and address any glass damage right away.
- Examine the weather stripping to limit air and moisture from entering your garage.
- Consider applying a protective film to your door’s glass.
Wood Garage Door Maintenance
To keep up wooden garage doors, you should:
- Ensure that your door is dry before applying any finishes.
- Apply a finish to help prevent rotting and warping.
- Avoid exposing your door to excess moisture.
- Address any signs of damage or infestation immediately.
- Check your weather stripping for signs of wear and tear.
What a Professional Should Do
Below are the key things for garage door maintenance. Although you may be tempted to DIY some of these tasks, we advise against this. Garage door maintenance requires the proper training and specialty equipment. Otherwise, you risk damaging your garage door, and your own safety. When the professionals at Precision perform your garage door tune-up, here are some of the things they’ll check for and perform:
- Safety sensor functionality: If your garage door has safety sensors, we’ll test them by making sure that your garage door doesn’t close while objects are in its path. If your sensors are working properly, your closing garage door should reverse its direction when an object is placed in the sight line of your sensors.
- Lubricated parts: Your garage door needs regular lubrication in order to operate normally. We’ll apply the proper type of lubricant to your rollers, hinges, and springs in the proper amount and locations to ensure that your garage door can open and close smoothly.
- Door balance: If your door hangs to one side or won’t stay in place when lifted manually, we’ll adjust it so that you and your property are safe.
- Track alignment: Our service professionals will check your garage door’s tracks to make sure they’re not bent or filled with debris. Having a clean, aligned set of tracks is essential for your garage door to function optimally.
- Spring inspection: Your garage door’s springs help lift and balance your door. Our service professionals will check to ensure it’s functioning properly.
Trust Precision for Your Garage Door Maintenance
Every garage door should be well-maintained to avoid bigger problems down the road. For expert garage door maintenance that you can trust, contact the professionals at Precision Garage Door Service® at (877) 301-7474 or find the Precision Garage Door Service location nearest you.
