Maintenance Recommendations To Keep Your Garage Door Looking And Functioning Well

Blog

Your home's garage door gets quite a bit of work every day, with each time it opens and closes when you leave and arrive back at home. And you expect your door to work in harmony with your opener and its motor for it to operate appropriately, so when either of the components fail, your door fails you. With all the wear and tear your garage door's mechanics experience in addition to outside weather conditions, it is important to keep your garage door maintained and in good repair so it remains in working order and does not fail or harm you or anyone else. Here are some recommendations to keep your garage door looking nice and working just as well.

Clean and Maintain Your Garage Door's Exterior

The outside of your garage is exposed to the elements and sun's damaging rays, and it also is the side that is visible from your street, so it affects the appearance of your home. For this reason, it is important to keep your garage door cleaned and protected.

Keep your metal garage door clean by washing it with a cleaning solution and clean water. Do this while the door is shaded to help the cleaner from drying in the sun onto the surface of your door.

If you have a pressure washer, spray on the cleaning solution with a low-flow tip, then let it sit for a few minutes to soften any soil spots. Rinse it clean with a medium-flow tip to remove the soil spots, using a cleaning rag to scrub away any stubborn spots. If your garage door has become oxidized, you can use a solution containing vinegar to rinse its surface clean and remove the powdery rust.

Keep a wood garage door maintained either by applying a protective finish to its surface as needed or by sanding and repainting a painted door when the paint begins to peel off. It is important that you don't allow the natural wood to become exposed, as this can cause the wood to rot and deteriorate.

Check Its Condition Regularly

It's important that the inner workings of your garage door are kept working well, and there are several different components that work together for your garage door to provide privacy and security to your garage's interior. This includes the door's safety sensors that are located on either side of the door along the floor, the door spring, door tracks, safety cable, and the opener's motor. You need to be aware of them and their condition.

Garage door springs traditionally are rated for 10,000 close and open cycles and will eventually fail and break due to the strain they have on them. Be sure to call a professional for a repair when one fails, as this can be a difficult and dangerous repair for you to do it on your own. A broken door spring will cost from $50 to $100 for a replacement, and the labor cost to install it will bring the total repair to approximately $200 to $300. Garage doors contain one to two springs, and if your garage door has two springs on it, you should replace them both at the same time to save you an extra labor and service charge.

There are some tasks you can do on your own to check your door's mechanical components. Look at the cable on your door for any signs of unraveling. Most importantly, as a homeowner you can keep an ear out for any squeaking or grinding noises when you open and close the door. Be sure to lubricate the door's track wheels and hinges with a garage door lubricant or WD-40 to keep them running smoothly and prevent excess stress on the door and early problems that can happen as a result. Clean out the tracks when they become filled with any debris.

For more information, contact a company like Eudy Door Co.

Share

19 September 2018