Routine Maintenance of Garage Doors

Garage doors should be routinely maintained just as any other mechanical and electrical system does.  Preventative servicing will save you time and money and avoid more serious problem and break downs of your garage door in the future.  Here are some maintenance tips to keep your garage door operating smoothly and safely:

Oiling Garage Door Parts

On a garage door system, a number of metal parts need to move and function smoothly. Applying oil, either penetrating or household, will keep these parts at optimum function and protect against rust as well.  The parts that may need oiling are:

  1. Pulleys – Normally, there are four pulleys in a garage door system. Two are attached to springs and two are stationary. These springs affect the opening and closing of garage doors and need to be kept at optimum performance to ensure the greatest possible longevity. This can be accomplished by spraying with a penetrating oil like WD 40 to dissolve and protect against rust as well as oiled with a little household oil should be done a few times a year.
  2. Springs – The tension or torsion springs that are attached to pulleys can be oiled as a preventative measure as well. Prevention of rust and corrosion is important so that the springs do not snap which can cause serious injury.
  3. Cables and Chain – Also spraying penetrating oil on the cables that run through the pulleys can prevent dangerous and costly breakage. The oil is the main motion transference medium that allows the door’s movement up and down the track. Oiling the chain on a chain based system can also be beneficial to keeping your garage door system in top shape.
  4. Tracks – Preventative oil spraying on all tracks will protect against rust and keep the wheels rolling smoothly.
  5. Arm/Door Connection – Oil will also allow the central arm that connects to the garage door itself to continue to move easily as they change angles when the door opens.

If you have badly rusted parts, you can repair them by soaking them in kerosene and rubbing with a bristly brush before oiling them.

Tighten Screws

Bolts and screws can become loose due to the vibration and operation of the garage door over time and lead to problems. It is a good practice to check the garage door system periodically and tighten the bolts and screws.  If they seem rusty at all, you can replace them or spray them with penetrating oil too.

Weather Stripping Inspection

Any weather stripping along the bottom of the door or along the sides needs to be checked for wear.  As necessary, replace so that worn, damaged, or torn weather stripping does not cause heat loss and moisture penetration or prevent the smooth operation and sealing of the garage door.

Wooden Door Maintenance

Painting or applying sealant to wooden garage doors will protect them against the weather elements.  The door may need to be scraped and recoated with paint or sealant every year or couple years dependent on the climate.

Control Box and Door Closer Inspection

The box near the ceiling is the garage door closer.  Unplug the box and remove its cover to inspect it.  Check for stripped gears, broken or exposed wires or anything else that looks like it needs maintenance or replacement.  Worn out parts or wires need to be replaced.  The wall mounted control box with the open and close buttons on it and the remote should be checked for signs of wear as well, dead batteries, etc.

The precautions listed above will help prevent unnecessary repairs, premature wear, and/or accidents in the future.  If you want a professional to do this for a very affordable price, call Affordable Overhead Door for great preventative service!