As we all know that a garage door is one of the giant moving parts of our home and considered as the second entry of a home too. While the primary home door is maintained well to ensure safety and security; so, why not for the garage door? It should be.

It is not a big task for a homeowner to maintain a garage door. Within an hour, one can inspect and maintain the door to increase the lifespan of it. Now the question is that how is it possible? Yes, it is possible by following 4 normal steps. According to International Door Association (IDA), it is recommended to check and test garage door system once in a month. It’s not a big deal to spend one hour in a one month for a door.

Test the Door for Balance:

Balancing is a key factor for any mechanism and a door is operated using 100s of mechanism performing at the same time. As per IDA, check the balance of a door is listed on the top of the list. Follow below the steps to check the balance of a door as per IDA.

Close the garage door first

  • Release the handle to allow for manual operation.
  • Now, just lift the door up around 3 to 4 feet. If it stays there; a door is properly balanced. If not then you need a help of a technician.
  • Lubricate the Bearings, Chains and Rollers:

The IDA says that garage door should be lubricated all of the moving parts during maintenance; it includes bearings, rollers, chains, springs and hinges. According to technicians, put a drop of oil on the roller which will pull oil into the bearings. After that lightly lubricate all hinges and springs. So, there is a less chance for a door being jammed. The whole task takes up to 10 to 15 minutes in a week.

Note: Do not apply oil on plastic parts.

Springs & Tracks Inspection and Cleaning:

IDA says doing a visual inspection of tracks, springs and other hardware parts on a regular basis is a good way to prevent malfunction because of wear and tear. The Bobvilla.com notes that there is not a way to estimate that how much longer a spring will last. If your springs are still in a good shape then a teenager boy can open the door manually when it is disconnected from a door opener. IDA also suggests that if springs are damaged then you should call only a certified technician and let him to do job in a fine way; as it is at high risk for anyone to replace the springs.

Now turn to tracks. Inspect them every month & vacuum the dust that may get in a way of rollers. Moreover, specialists say that it should be aligned (parallel to each other) to avoid slipping wheels. If you notice a track is out of alignment at the time of inspection; loose the bolts, straighten the track to the alignment and then tighten the bolts.

Adjust the Sensitivity of a Door Opener

Yes, you can adjust the sensitivity of a door of many types according to a DIY network. Within 5 minutes, you can check the sensitivity of an opener. Close the door and if the door bounces back once it touches something which is in between the way means opener is functioning completely fine. If it doesn’t, it times to reduce the force of door using the opener system.

All the above tasks are performed within an hour. Being aware of a garage door is a great way to improve the life of a door and prevent the issues. But still, it is recommended that hire garage door expert to inspect as well as repair the door.

 

Author Bio:

Mike is a founder of mikegaragedoorrepair.com and a specialist of repairing and installing every type of garage door from residential to commercial. He loves to advise homeowners to maintain a garage door and put it into the primary category of home.