As often as you use your garage door, it is important to conduct regular maintenance service to keep it in great shape. Proper maintenance will keep your garage door working smoothly for years to come with very little repairs necessary.  

Keep the hardware tight

Pay attention to the garage door when you open and close it. It should move smoothly and any jerking or unusual sounds will require a little more investigation. Your garage door will move up and down thousands of times each year. This movement and vibration can cause some parts of the hardware to loosen up, and operating the garage door in this state can cause more problems. Make sure to tighten the moving parts regularly.

Keep the door balanced

Your garage door opener will have to work twice as hard opening a garage door that is not properly balanced. This will cause it to wear out faster and require repairs that are more regular. Garage door spring adjustment should be done by a professional garage door technician. You can tell your garage door is not properly balanced when you disconnect the opener and try to move the door up manually. In most cases, it will not stay up when opened halfway, showing the counterweight system is not balanced well.

Replace the rollers

Garage door rollers are made of steel or nylon. Rollers should be inspected twice a year and you should replace worn out rollers every few years or as needed, depending on how you use the garage door. The rollers become worn, cracked and chopped after many years of use. You should also check the track for any debris that prevents the rollers from operating smoothly. Leave any track adjustment work to a professional technician.

Keep moving parts well lubricated

Make sure the movable parts of the garage door stay greased up to ensure smooth operation and prevent faster wear and tear from friction. It takes less than 10 minutes to lubricate the garage door and you can use with lithium grease or spray lubricants. Grease the opener's chain or screw and coat the overhead springs.  

Keep it weather proof

The weather seal strip at the bottom of the door should be replaced when it becomes brittle and cracked up. Weather stripping is available in most hardware shops. If your garage door is made of wood, check for water damage, peeling paint and warping. As for steel doors, keep an eye out for rust spots. You should wash the garage door regularly and remember to sand and prime before putting on a fresh coat of paint.

Make sure you hire a garage door service professional if you're concerned about doing regular garage door maintenance.

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