Does your garage door produce annoying noises?
Does it appear uneven and won’t close all the way down?
If your garage door behaves erratically more often than usual, then chances are you have not been observing routine upkeep like you are supposed to.
Keep your doors in peak shape by taking the following maintenance basics to heart.
Lubricate a noisy door properly
While not many are aware of it, part and parcel of proper garage door lubrication entails knowing what the no-no’s are.
For starters, rather than using WD40 as lubricant, it is more advisable to opt for a lithium or silicone spray.
For starters, rather than using WD40 as lubricant, it is more advisable to opt for a lithium or silicone spray.
In addition, it will work to your advantage to know the areas you need to lubricate as not all parts warrant lubrication.
Parts that need to be lubricated include the chain rail top, hinges, stems, lock, arm bar and metal rollers.
Realign sensors
In most cases, misalignment is the likely culprit whenever electric door sensors malfunction.
Fortunately, realigning the sensors is pretty straightforward.
Fix any issues by pushing them in position until they face each other.
Once the sensors are in the right position, you will know as you will notice a solid light rather than a blinking one.
Install weather seals
If you want to save energy and at the same time keep moisture from your garage, installing weather seals is your best recourse.
When applying weather seals, you need to prioritize 3 key areas: the door’s bottom edge, in-between the door panels and the door frame.
Reset the opener
When your garage door automatically opens, closes briefly or does not stop before it meets the ground, then more often than not, your opener needs resetting.
While resetting procedures for different models vary, the following instructions often apply: Unplug the opener and wait at least 10 seconds before turning it back on. Keep pressing the down arrow button until the door is completely closed. Hit the ‘set’ button right after. Press the up arrow button and stop only when the door is about six inches from the opener. Hit the ‘set’ button and you are good to go.
Clean the track
When garage doors become sticky or produce squeaky noises, it is time to clean the tracks.
As a good rule of thumb, refrain from lubricating the tracks when it squeaks or becomes sticky.
Instead, clean the door track using a damp cloth.
If you need to get rid of sticky residues, spraying WD40 is recommended. Keeping your garage door in superior condition is no rocket science. Ensure you observe the abovementioned maintenance tips at all times and you can look forward to enjoying savings and your garage door for many years to come.