Garage doors make your home convenient and safe, but they also require regular maintenance to keep them in top condition. As you’re getting the rest of the house and yard ready for spring, don’t forget to pay a little attention to your garage doors. Remember that the idea here is to help you detect problems a professional can correct. Very few garage door repairs are appropriate for inexperienced people to attempt because of the high tension on the spring and the heavy weight of the door. Here’s a simple checklist for safely inspecting your garage doors to prepare them for the year.
Lubricate the Spring
Directly above your garage door is a long, tightly coiled spring. This is known as a torsion spring, and it manages the weight of your door to help it stay in position. Unlike other springs you have probably seen, the coils of a torsion spring are always wound tightly together. Over time, those coils can rust and stick to each other, increasing the risk of a broken spring. When a spring breaks, the door is not operable and could roll shut without control, seriously injuring someone and damaging the door.
You can avoid that dangerous and expensive mishap by keeping your spring lubricated. Home improvement stores offer several products for this purpose. Close the door, spray the spring, and then raise and lower the door to help spread the lubrication. This easy step will cost you little money and extend your spring’s life.
Check the Balance
Your door should be balanced correctly to reduce the strain on the opener system. To check this, release the door from the opener system. This is usually done by pulling a chain or rope overhead along the track.
Once you have released it, grasp the handle and raise the door halfway. It should stay in that position. If it tries to continue opening or starts to drift downward, the door is out of balance and needs a technician to make adjustments.
Your door frame should also be in balance. If your garage shifts, this can change the way the door opens. Extreme shifts can be seen with the naked eye. You can also put a level at the top of the door frame to find more subtle shifts.
Test the Safety Features
Modern garage doors are very safe if their safety systems work correctly. The two main features that you can test are the photo sensors and the auto-stop feature. To test the photo sensors, close the door and place your hand in front of one of the sensors. The door should immediately stop and go back up. If not, clean the sensors with a dry cloth, check their alignment, and try again.
For the auto-stop, place something solid, like a wood block, on the floor in the door’s path and see if the door stops when it makes contact. If either of these features gives you trouble, have a contractor make adjustments.
Examine the Gasket
Your garage door includes a thick rubber gasket at the bottom that helps make a weathertight seal along the floor. Over time, this gasket can shrink, dry rot, or come out of place, creating a gap. Such openings allow spring rains, summer heat, and yearlong pests like mice and insects to enter your garage.
Raise your door and examine the gasket from below. Look for cracks, splits, or loose areas. Ensure that the gasket extends the full length of the door with no gaps at either end. If you see any problems with the gasket, consider replacing it.
Checking the Tracks
Good track condition allows the door to move freely up and down without binding from corrosion, debris, or poor alignment. If these obstacles are present, the opener and the door’s wheels will wear excessively, eventually requiring repairs.
Check each door for obstructions like leaves or dirt. Clear everything out of the path, then open and close the door a few times to ensure the track is straight and doesn’t bind anywhere. If you detect issues, contact a professional.
Inspect and Lubricate Moving Parts
A garage door feels like one big moving part, but it’s actually made up of several. Three or more hinges are at the top of each panel, and rollers are up on both sides. The center has a locking mechanism, and a belt or chain moves the door. Over time, each hinge can become worn or corroded, so spend part of your spring carefully inspecting it.
Use an appropriate lubricant to fight off wear and tear. Check all the nuts, screws, and other hardware to make sure everything is tight and in place. Be sure to use a wrench or socket of the appropriate size instead of risking damage to the hardware using pliers or an adjustable wrench. If your door has windows, gently press the panes to ensure they haven’t cracked or gotten loose.
Check and Clean the Exterior
One of the easiest ways to check for problems is to clean the outside of the door. Use a sponge or brush with soapy water to thoroughly clean the exterior and interior. This is especially important in the spring, when your vehicles may have had salty water dripping off snowy highways. Salt and dirt can be very corrosive to your door’s structure, so cleaning helps extend its life. This is also a good time to clean the safety sensor lenses.
Take a minute to spray your door with a garden hose from the outside, then check the inside floor. Any dripping on the inner face of the door could indicate a gap that needs attention. It can also indicate locations where rodents or other wildlife can enter the garage.
Inspect the Cables and Pulleys
On each side of your door, a cable links the door from its bottom to the rollers at each end of the torsion spring that runs above it. These cables bear much of your door’s weight and must be in good shape and properly aligned.
Stand beside your door as you raise and lower it several times. Ensure the cable properly spools onto the rollers on each side. Watch the entire length of each cable for any signs of fraying, crimping, or other damage. Look at the bottom of the door to make sure the cable is correctly secured with no loose or bent hardware.
At the top of the door, watch the rollers to ensure that they turn freely. Never touch the cables or rollers while the door is in motion, as this can cause injuries.
Let a Pro Get Your Doors Ready!
At Lewis Door Service, we know how important your garage doors are to keep your home safe, comfortable, and convenient. If your springtime inspection reveals any problems or if you’d like a professional to inspect them, partner with our experts.
We serve all of Kentuckiana and will be glad to work with you to ensure your doors meet your every need. Call us today for garage door maintenance!
